Evidence map›Paper›PMID 31984295›Full record

ArticlePain reports

Attenuation of capsaicin-induced ongoing pain and secondary hyperalgesia during exposure to an immersive virtual reality environment.

Sam W Hughes, Hongyan Zhao, Edouard J Auvinet, Paul H Strutton

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Pain reports. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 11 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
11citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
1.0field-weighted citation impact, top 22% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

11 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 21 citations in OpenAlex.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Sam W HughesThe Nick Davey Laboratory, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom.
Hongyan ZhaoThe Nick Davey Laboratory, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom.
Edouard J AuvinetThe Nick Davey Laboratory, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom.
Paul H StruttonThe Nick Davey Laboratory, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom.
Imperial College London · GB

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionThere is growing evidence that virtual reality (VR) can be used in the treatment of chronic pain conditions. However, further research is required to better understand the analgesic mechanisms during sensitised pain states.

objectivesWe examined the effects of an immersive polar VR environment on capsaicin-induced ongoing pain and secondary hyperalgesia. We also investigated whether the degree of analgesia was related to baseline conditioned pain modulation (CPM) responses.

methodsNineteen subjects had baseline CPM and electrical pain perception (EPP) thresholds measured before the topical application of capsaicin cream. Visual analogue scale ratings were measured to track the development of an ongoing pain state, and EPP thresholds were used to measure secondary hyperalgesia. The effects of a passive polar VR environment on ongoing pain and secondary hyperalgesia were compared with sham VR (ie, 2D monitor screen) in responders to capsaicin (n = 15).

resultsVirtual reality was associated with a transient reduction in ongoing pain and an increase in EPP thresholds in an area of secondary hyperalgesia. Baseline CPM measurements showed a significant correlation with VR-induced changes in secondary hyperalgesia, but not with VR-induced changes in ongoing pain perception. There was no correlation between VR-induced changes in pain perception and VR-induced changes in secondary hyperalgesia.

conclusionVirtual reality can reduce the perception of capsaicin-induced ongoing pain and secondary hyperalgesia. We also show that CPM may provide a means by which to identify individuals likely to respond to VR therapy.

Indexed as

CapsaicinEndogenous analgesiaOngoing painSensitisationVirtual reality

Identifiers

PMID31984295
PMCPMC6903343
OpenAlexW2981622167

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.