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Postoperative pain management
214 Virtual reality hypnosis on cold pain perception in healthy volunteers
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  1. C Terzulli1,
  2. C Chauvin2,
  3. C Champagnol Di-Liberti3,
  4. S Faisan3,
  5. A Dufour4,
  6. M Melchior1,
  7. L Goffin3,
  8. D Graff5,
  9. E Laroche3,
  10. E Salvat6 and
  11. P Poisbeau1
  1. 1Institut des Neurosciences Cellulaires et Intégratives, Strasbourg, France
  2. 2Hôpital de Hautepierre, Strabourg, France
  3. 3ICUBE, Strasbourg, France
  4. 4Centre d’Investigation Neurocognitives et Neurophysiologiques, Strasbourg, France
  5. 5Clinique Rhéna, Strasbourg, France
  6. 6CETD; Hôpital de Hautepierre, Strabourg, France

Abstract

Background and Aims Over 200 millions of surgeries are performed each year, these may lead to postoperative pain mainly managed with opioid prescription [1]. It is recommended to decrease the use of opioids by adding at least one non-pharmacological pain management modality in the treatment [2]. Virtual Reality and hypnosis are examples of such.

The aim of this study was to measure the pain intensity and unpleasantness perception at rest and during virtual reality hypnosis (VRH) in healthy volunteers.

Methods With Ethics Committee agreement (CPP-ILE-DE-FRANCE III, approval date 04/02/2020), healthy volunteers were prospectively included to receive nociceptive cold stimulations at rest, without VRH (Control condition) and during VRH with HypnoVR*software (Oculus Rift® headset, Oculus VR) (VRH condition). Three intensities (Visual Analog Scale (VAS) = 0/10, 2/10, 4/10) of cold stimulations were applied 3 times each (stimulation duration: 20 seconds, separated by 1 minute) on participant’s wrist with a thermode. Intensities were chosen beforehand by applying various cold intensities that subjects scored on a VAS. Maximal pain intensity and unpleasantness perception were collected after the end of each condition and then compared.

Results A total of 41 healthy volunteers were analyzed (demographic data: table 1). There is a significant decrease in pain average intensity and unpleasantness perception in VRH compared to control group (2,46±1,59 vs 3,66±1,84; p<.0001 and 3,06±2,06 vs 2,21±1,70; p<0,0001 respectively) (figure 1).

Abstract 214 Figure 1
Abstract 214 Figure 1
View this table:
Abstract 214 Table 1

Demographic data of the 41 healthy volunteers included

Abstract 214 Figure 2
Abstract 214 Figure 2

Conclusions VRH (HypnoVR*) managed to decrease cold pain intensity (-33%) and unpleasantness (-40%) perception in healthy volunteers. These results need to be confirmed in clinical setting.

https://doi.org/10.1136/rapm-2021-ESRA.214

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