Modulation of thermal pain-related brain activity with virtual reality: evidence from fMRI.
This study investigated the neural correlates of virtual reality analgesia. Virtual reality significantly reduced subjective pain ratings (i.e. analgesia). Using fMRI, pain-related brain activity was measured for each participant during conditions of no virtual reality and during virtual reality (order randomized). As predicted, virtual reality significantly reduced pain-related brain activity in all five regions of interest; the anterior cingulate cortex, primary and secondary somatosensory cortex, insula, and thalamus (p<0.002, corrected). Results showed direct modulation of human brain pain responses by virtual reality distraction.
Hoffman
Hunter G
HG
Human Interface Technology Lab, and Department of Radiology, Box 352142, University of Washington, 1959 NE Pacific, Seattle, WA 98195, USA. hunter@hitL.washington.edu
Richards
Todd L
TL
Coda
Barbara
B
Bills
Aric R
AR
Blough
David
D
Richards
Anne L
AL
Sharar
Sam R
SR
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000698:Analgesia / Q000379:methods; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology; D001921:Brain / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology; D015536:Down-Regulation / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology; D006179:Gyrus Cinguli / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology; D006358:Hot Temperature; D006801:Humans; D006930:Hyperalgesia / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy; D007088:Illusions / Q000502:physiology*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D010146:Pain / Q000503:physiopathology*; D059408:Pain Management; D010147:Pain Measurement; D013003:Somatosensory Cortex / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology; D013788:Thalamus / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014584:User-Computer Interface