News
Virtual reality helps burn patients find pain relief
2 April 2008
An interactive, virtual-reality video game featuring snow scenes is
being used to help burn patients manage pain during wound care and
physical therapy.
The thinking behind the game, called SnowWorld, is that to a patient
recovering from severe burns, a polar landscape of gently falling
snowflakes, snowmen, penguins, igloos and icy rivers creates a soothing
feeling and distracts from painful treatment. It has been found to
reduce pain sensation by 50-90% and MRI scans show reduction in
pain-related brain activity in all five pain regions of the brain.
Developed by psychologist Dr Hunter Hoffman and David Patterson at
the University of Washington, Seattle, and Harborview Burn Center,
SnowWorld uses virtual reality helmets to provide a 3D immersive
experience. The software was developed with the help of Seattle-based
interactive technology company Imprint and is free for research and
clinical use.
Loyola University Hospital in Maywood, Illinois is one of just a
handful of hospitals that is employing this 21st century technology to
help burn patients recover from their injuries.
Physical therapist Adam Young helps former burn patient
Jamie Nieto during a
demonstration of an interactive video game that will distract patients
from
their pain while undergoing therapy at Loyola University Medical Center.
Courtesy of Alvin Hayashi/Loyola University Medical Center
Occupational therapist Melissa Drews and physical
therapist Adam Young
explain to the audience what former burn patient Jamie Nieto is
experiencing while playing the interactive virtual-reality video game.
Courtesy of Alvin Hayashi/Loyola University Medical Center
“Severe burns are one of the most painful injuries a person can
endure,” said Dr Richard Gamelli, chairman of the department of surgery,
Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine, Maywood. “Anything
that we can do to lessen the pain and suffering of patients during
treatment is a plus. This system is the next step in helping us to do
that.”
Treatment of burn injuries can be excruciating. It often involves
daily bandage changes, the cleaning of wounds and the removal of dead
tissue in order to stave off infection and prevent scar tissue from
forming. Also, a burn patient’s skin must be stretched in order to
restore and maintain the range of motion, minimize muscle atrophy and
reduce the need for further grafts.
The virtual-reality system eases pain of treatment by immersing burn
patients in a wintry, computer-generated environment. Its interactive,
multi-sensory, features put patients in a deep freeze of distraction,
leaving less attention for the processing of incoming pain signals. It’s
similar to what has been done with music, movies and even
two-dimensional video games, but more effective because it involves
problem-solving activities that emphasize coolness.
“The theory is solid. Think of a toothache,” said Gamelli, who is
also chief of Loyola’s Burn Center. “During the day it’s less painful
because you have more demands on your attention. However, when night
comes and things quiet down, your pain can flair up because you have far
less to focus on.”
During treatment, a patient wears a stereoscopic, position-tracking
helmet that displays a world of three-dimensional graphics. The patient
is also equipped with headphones and a mouse that allows the patient to
throw snowballs. Along with sound effects, the system has the ability to
let the patient pipe in their favourite music while they play the game.
Once the system is turned on, the patient enters a world of snowmen,
penguins and polar bears that are perched on icy ledges or are floating
in a frigid river. The snowmen use their spindly arms and hands to throw
snowballs at the patient who can, with the click of the mouse, deflect
the incoming ball of ice with a snowball of their own. Further clicks
can unleash a torrent of snowballs that on contact cause the snowmen and
igloos to explode in powdery puffs and the penguins to cartwheel over
with a squawk. The system also has two high-resolution flat-screen
monitors that display what the patient is seeing.
“Young people frequently anticipate the pain of therapy and cry and
yell even before they’re touched,” said Melissa Drews, occupational
therapist, department of orthopaedic surgery and rehabilitation, Loyola.
“Since this system blocks all outside sights and sounds, it takes them
completely out of what is to them an anxiety-inducing setting and
transports to a fun place with fun things to do.”
The virtual-reality system has further application beyond burn care.
It has been used to help people overcome phobias and post traumatic stress
syndrome. It’s also been used in urological procedures, dentistry and to
control pain during physical therapy for cerebral palsy patients.
Dr Hunter Hoffman has also developed SpiderWorld to desensitize
people with arachnophobia, WTC World, to treat people suffering from
post-traumatic stress disorder from the World Trade Center attacks,
IraqWorld to treat US military personnel, and BusWorld to treat Israeli
civilians suffering from terrorist attacks.
For those in the neighbourhood or lucky enough to be able to travel
there, SnowWorld is on show at the Contemporary Art Museum of Houston
until 20 April 2008.
Further information
Human Interface Technology Laboratory, Washington Technology Center
Seattle, Washington
www.hitl.washington.edu/projects/vrpain/
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