Virtual Reality as a Complementary Therapy By Hind T. Alhashimi Faten Alrashed Subervised By Dr.Hatim Abualsamh

Outline Virtual Reality Technology in Brief Application of Virtual Reality Idea On Complementary Therapy SnowWorld and SpiderWorld Performance Criteria and Results Challenges Risks Conclusion

What is VR Virtual Reality: A computer system used to create an artificial world in which the user has the impression of being in that world and with the ability to navigate through the world and manipulate objects in the world.“

What is VR "Virtual Reality allows you to explore a computer generated world by actually being in it"

What is VR Technology requirements –Hardware capable of rendering real-time 3D graphics and high- quality stereo sound. Example: Head Mounted Display HMD

What is VR Technology requirements –Input devices to sense user interaction and motion. –Output devices to replace user's sensory input from the physical world with computer- generated input.

What is VR Technology requirements CONT –Software that handles real-time input/output processing, rendering, simulation, and access to the world database in which the environment is defined.

Complementary Therapy "Complementary Therapy" refers to use of complementary medicine together with conventional medicine, such as using acupuncture in addition to usual care to help lessen pain.

Logic for Why VR Will Reduce Pain Pain requires conscious attention. Pain perception has a strong psychological component. The essence of VR is the illusion users have of going inside the computer-generated environment.

SnowWorld In 2004 Hunter G. Hoffman worked on several burned patients and relieves their pain by using Snow World virtual- reality program during wound treatment.Hunter G. Hoffman

SnowWorld Immersive virtual reality software program developed by researchers at the University of Washington and it is first virtual world custom-designed for burn patients. Participant on snow world blocks their view from the real world. In the interactive Snow World, patients shoot snowballs at snowmen.

SpiderWorld Originally designed to treat phobic patients over come their fear of spider.

SpiderWorld Spider world therapy divided into three session: 1.Participants navigated a virtual kitchen. 2.Participants picked up a spider bucket. 3.Participants were asked to reach out and grab the image of a fist-size Guyana bird-eating tarantula using a virtual hand.

Performance Criteria and Results

ResultsResults –One of the best ways to alleviate pain is to introduce a distraction. Because virtual reality immerses users in a three- dimensional computer-generated world, it is uniquely suited to distracting patients from their pain. –Burn patients undergoing wound care report that their pain drops dramatically when they engage in virtual-reality programs Functional magnetic resonance imaging shows that virtual reality actually reduces the amount of pain-related activity in the brain.

Performance Criteria and Results ResultsResults –Virtual-reality programs can also help phobic patients overcome their fear of spiders, heights, flying or public speaking. A specially designed program is now being used to treat post-traumatic stress disorder in survivors of the September 11 attacks.

Performance Criteria and Results

Other Experiments In 2000 Peretz B, Bimstein E evaluates the effects of imagery suggestions during administration of local anesthetic in pediatric dental patients. In 2007 Susan M. Schneider and Linda E. Hood explore virtual reality (VR) as a distraction intervention to relieve pain in adults taking chemotherapy treatments for breast, colon, and lung cancer. In 2003 Susan M. Schneider et al explore the use of virtual reality as a distraction intervention to relieve pain in women receiving chemotherapy for breast cancer. In 2004 Susan M. Schneider et al explored the effects of a virtual reality distraction intervention on chemotherapy related symptom distress levels in 16 women aged 50 and older. In 1998 Hiroshi Oyama described several VR researches for palliative medicine at the National Cancer Center Hospital Japan.

Challenges The challenges for VR pain distraction are –Availability and cost. –Ruggedness of VR goggles. Risk of neck pain.

Possible Risks Motion sickness People who suffer from panic attacks, those with serious medical problems such as heart disease or epilepsy, are subjects for psychological risks. –Excluding those having such a situation is a typical solution.

Future Work New VR hardware and software will be designed by The Human Interface Technology Lab (HITLab) –VR hardware predicted to further enhance the effectiveness of VR. –a miniature projector –VR software will be designed to be effective for a longer time, and is designed to be used day after day by the same patient.

Conclusion As a robust distraction technique,VR could be used effectively as a complementary therapy to alleviate patient’s pain. VR can ease pain, both physical and psychological. It can create therapeutic environments for the evaluating and treatment of medical conditions and to support exposure of anxiety disorders. The treatment makes the patient into a virtual environment that contains the feared situation rather than making the patient into the actual environment

Thank you We Appreciate Your Listing