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1

EFFECTIVENESS OF DIFFERENT VIRTUAL REALITY ENVIRONMENTS ON THERMAL PAIN DISTRACTION

100%

Czub M. , Piskorz J.

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nr 2

7-19

EN

This study investigated analgesia mechanisms by using virtual reality (VR) technology. We tested how the content of a virtual environment (VE) influences the intensity of experienced pain. Two different VE’s were used – relaxation and stimulation, and pain was triggered by heat stimuli. We used repeated experimental designs for the study. Thirty-two undergraduate psychology students participated, with each person being immersed in two VE`s while a heat stimulus was applied to their wrist. Objective and subjective pain measurements were collected on a visual analog scale (VAS) – the temperature of the heat stimulus and the participant`s assessment of pain intensity. Participants also filled in questionnaires designed to measure their temperaments and anxiety levels. We also recorded the subject`s respiratory rate. We found no significant difference between the two VE’s in their analgesic efficacy. Under both VR conditions participants endured significantly higher temperatures than under the no-VR condition. We found no signifi cant differences in the influence of temperament or anxiety on a specific VE efficacy.

2

Virtual Reality Use for Stress Reduction and Patient Comfort During Chemotherapy

80%

Piskorz J. , Czub M. , Mróz M. , Drapała J.

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nr 2

136-155

EN

Background. For many years virtual reality (VR) has been used to support therapy in many clinical contexts. This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of VR as an intervention to reduce distress and increase patient comfort during chemotherapy. Participants and Procedure. Twenty-six adult patients of the Haematology Clinic participated in the between-group design study. The experimental group used a VR application during three chemotherapy sessions, while the control group underwent treatment as usual. Participants' task in VR was to locate and destroy cancer cells using drug particles emitted from a virtual weapon. Several self-report measures were used, measuring attitudes towards the chemotherapy session, experiences during the session, items related to using visualization techniques, and questions related to evaluating the VR application. Results. We found a significant difference between groups regarding the experience of the session. Participants in the experimental group reported more sense of control over the treatment process, higher levels of physical comfort, and relaxation. We discuss the implications of these results in various contexts, including gender differences, age, and time between chemotherapy sessions. Conclusions. Virtual Reality applications can effectively influence the experience of the chemotherapy session positively. Its use can also affect the psychological aspects of a patient's treatment process.

3

Virtual Reality Could Improve Exercise Performance on a Stationary Bike

80%

Kowal M. , Piskorz J. , Czub M.

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nr 4

365-372

EN

The present study aimed to investigate the effects of manipulating visual information about one’s movement in Virtual Reality (VR) during physical training on a stationary bike. In the first experiment, the participants’ (N=30) task was to cycle on a stationary bike while embodying a virtual avatar. Fifteen participants experienced the Slow condition, in which a virtual avatar cycled at the constant speed of 15km/h, while the other fifteen participants experienced the Fast condition, in which a virtual avatar cycled at the constant speed of 35km/h. In the second experiment, we tested whether introducing agency (i.e., linking real-life cycling speed with the cycling speed of a virtual avatar), would improve exercise performance. Participants (N=31) experienced counterbalanced conditions: Faster optic flow (avatar’s speed was 15% faster than the participants’ real cycling speed), and Slower optic flow (avatar’s speed was 15% slower than the participants’ real cycling speed). Results showed that all participants increased their cycling speed when experiencing altered cycling speed of a virtual avatar compared with their baselines, but in the first experiment, participants cycled faster in the faster optic flow condition, while in the second experiment, when participants controlled the virtual avatar’s cycling speed, there were no differences between the Fast and Slow conditions. Participants described the cycling in VR as a pleasant experience. The present study suggests that the addition of Virtual Reality during exercise training may increase cycling performance.