Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34860290›Full record

ArticleApplied psychophysiology and biofeedback2022

Virtual Reality Biofeedback in Health: A Scoping Review.

Robin Lüddecke, Anna Felnhofer

Registry-linked trialOpen access · hybridAbstract readScoping Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Applied psychophysiology and biofeedback, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT06656741 (Neurological Evidence of Diverse Self-Help Breathing Trainings with Virtual Reality and Bio-Feedback Assistance), which is not on this map. Cited by 30 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
30citing papers in PubMed, 4 pooled it
8.0field-weighted citation impact, top 2% 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.

NCT06656741 nacompletednot on this map

Neurological Evidence of Diverse Self-Help Breathing Trainings with Virtual Reality and Bio-Feedback Assistance: an Extensive Exploration of EEG Markers

TypeinterventionalSponsorHei-Yin Hydra NgRan2021 to 2022Enrolled53ConditionsBreath Training StylesArmsResting State, Mindful Breathing, Guided Breathing, Breath Counting
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

30 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 91 citations in OpenAlex.

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  11. Comparisons of Virtual Reality-based vs. Conventional Biofeedback for Panic Symptoms: A Randomized Controlled Study.Clinical psychopharmacology and neuroscience : the official scientific journal of the Korean College of Neuropsychopharmacology · 2026
    Article
  12. Article
  13. Digital Psychiatry with Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality: Recent Advances and Limitations.Clinical psychopharmacology and neuroscience : the official scientific journal of the Korean College of Neuropsychopharmacology · 2026
    Review
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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

2 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Robin LüddeckeDepartment of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Division of Pediatric Pulmonology, Allergology and Endocrinology, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria.
Anna FelnhoferDepartment of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Division of Pediatric Pulmonology, Allergology and Endocrinology, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria. anna.felnhofer@meduniwien.ac.at.ORCID 0000-0002-0081-7489
Comprehensive Cancer Center Vienna · AT

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Over the past decades, virtual reality (VR) has found its way into biofeedback (BF) therapy programs. Using VR promises to overcome challenges encountered in traditional BF such as low treatment motivation, low attentional focus and the difficulty of transferring learnt abilities to everyday life. Yet, a comprehensive research synthesis is still missing. Hence, this scoping review aims to provide an overview over empirical studies on VR based BF regarding key outcomes, included samples, used soft- and hardware, BF parameters, mode of application and potential limitations. We systematically searched Medline, PsycINFO, Scopus, CINAHL, Google Scholar and Open Grey for empirical research. Eighteen articles met the inclusion criteria. Samples mostly consisted of healthy (44.4%) and/or adult (77.7%) participants. Outcomes were mainly anxiety (44.4%), stress (44.4%) or pain reduction (11.1%), which were reduced by the VR-BF interventions at least as much as by classical BF. Participants in VR-BF interventions showed higher motivation and involvement as well as a better user experience. Heart rate or heart rate variability were the most frequently used BF parameters (50.0%), and most VR-BF interventions (72.2%) employed a natural environment (e.g., island). Currently, there is no clear evidence that VR-BF is more effective than traditional BF. Yet, results indicate that VR-BF may have advantages regarding motivation, user experience, involvement and attentional focus. Further research is needed to assess the specific impact of VR and gamification. Also, testing a broader range of clinical and younger samples would allow more far-reaching conclusions.

Indexed as

Virtual RealityAdultAnxietyAnxiety DisordersAttentionBiofeedback, PsychologyHumansBiofeedbackMental healthMotivationPsychophysiologyStressVirtual reality

Identifiers

PMID34860290
PMCPMC8831282
OpenAlexW3215101859

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

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.