International Research Journal of Innovations in Engineering and Technology - IRJIET International Open Access, Monthly, Peer Reviewed, Reputed Journal ISSN (online): 2581-3048

Impact Factor (2025): 6.9

DOI Prefix: 10.47001/IRJIET

Virtual Reality-Driven Intervention for Alleviating Pain in Pediatric Patients

Abstract

Endorphins are the natural painkillers produced by the body. They are released by the hypothalamus and the pituitary gland. They are produced by the body during pleasurable activities and other activities such as exercise, meditation, laughter etc. In this work, these conditions are created by a virtual reality (VR) environment and employed to create a distraction which is a very effective and efficient way of managing pain. This distraction in combination with the release if the endorphins, is expected to have an effect on the sensation of pains in pediatric patients. This study develops a VR system and investigates the effectiveness of virtual reality distraction and no distraction at all in reducing pain and anxiety during a medical procedure in a pediatric population. Pediatric patients aged 4 – 10 were examined for validation of the system and they showed varying degrees of pain relief.

Country : Nigeria

1 C.E Akunyili2 E.A Okeke3 I.J Ezika4 D.O Oyeka

  1. Department of Electronic and Computer Engineering, University of Nigeria Nsukka, Nigeria
  2. Department of Electronic and Computer Engineering, University of Nigeria Nsukka, Nigeria
  3. Department of Electronic and Computer Engineering, University of Nigeria Nsukka, Nigeria
  4. Department of Electronic and Computer Engineering, University of Nigeria Nsukka, Nigeria

IRJIET, Volume 6, Issue 12, December 2022 pp. 341-346

doi.org/10.47001/IRJIET/2022.612063

Full Paper
Download

References

  1. M. H. Johnson, “How does distraction work in the management of pain?,” Curr Pain Headache Rep, vol. 9, no. 2, pp. 90–95, 2005, doi: 10.1007/s11916-005-0044-1.
  2. Y.-Y. Zhang, R. Vimala, P. L. Chui, and I. N. Hilmi, “Effect of visual distraction on pain in adults undergoing colonoscopy: a meta-analysis,” Surg Endosc, vol. 37, no. 4, pp. 2633–2643, 2022, doi: 10.1007/s00464-022-09724-7.
  3. K. Y.-L. Yap, D. W. H. Koh, V. S. J. Lee, and L. L. Wong, “Use of virtual reality in the supportive care management of paediatric patients with cancer,” Lancet Child Adolesc Health, vol. 4, no. 12, pp. 899–908, 2020, doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/S2352-4642(20)30240-6.
  4. V. Simonetti, M. Tomietto, D. Comparcini, N. Vankova, S. Marcelli, and G. Cicolini, “Effectiveness of virtual reality in the management of paediatric anxiety during the peri‑operative period: A systematic review and meta-analysis,” Int J Nurs Stud, vol. 125, p. 104115, 2022, doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2021.104115.
  5. A.M. Iannicelliet al., “Does virtual reality reduce pain in pediatric patients? A systematic review,” Ital J Pediatr, vol. 45, no. 1, p. 171, 2019, doi: 10.1186/s13052-019-0757-0.
  6. M. Tennant et al., “Effects of immersive virtual reality exposure in preparing pediatric oncology patients for radiation therapy,” Tech Innov Patient Support Radiat Oncol, vol. 19, pp. 18–25, 2021, doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tipsro.2021.06.001.
  7. G. Ö. Gerçeker, M. Bektaş, Y. Aydınok, H. Ören, H. Ellidokuz, and N. Olgun, “The effect of virtual reality on pain, fear, and anxiety during access of a port with huber needle in pediatric hematology-oncology patients: Randomized controlled trial,” European Journal of Oncology Nursing, vol. 50, p. 101886, 2021, doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejon.2020.101886.
  8. Unity, “Unity Real-Time Development Platform | 3D, 2D, VR & AR Engine.” Accessed: Dec 08, 2022. [Online]. Available: https://unity.com/
  9. Android Studio, “Download Android Studio & App Tools - Android Developers.” Accessed: Dec 08, 2022. [Online]. Available: https://developer.android.com/studio
  10. Android Studio, “NDK Downloads | Android NDK | Android Developers.” Accessed: Dec 08, 2022. [Online]. Available: https://developer.android.com/ndk/downloads
  11. Android Studio, “Java versions in Android builds | Android Studio | Android Developers.” Accessed: Dec 08, 2022. [Online]. Available: https://developer.android.com/build/jdks
  12. Gradle Inc., “Gradle Build Tool.” Accessed: Dec 09, 2022. [Online]. Available: https://gradle.org/
  13. Google VR, “Quickstart for Google VR SDK for Android | Google for Developers.” Accessed: Dec 09, 2022. [Online]. Available: https://developers.google.com/vr/develop/android/get-started
  14. Blender, “blender.org - Home of the Blender project - Free and Open 3D Creation Software.” Accessed: Dec 09, 2022. [Online]. Available: https://www.blender.org/

Copyright @ 2026-2017 IRJIET. All Right Reserved.

Developed by Byzero Technologies