Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34946455›Full record

ArticleHealthcare (Basel, Switzerland)2021

Effects of Virtual Reality-Based Relaxation Techniques on Psychological, Physiological, and Biochemical Stress Indicators.

Eglė Mazgelytė, Virginija Rekienė, Edita Dereškevičiūtė, Tomas Petrėnas, Jurgita Songailienė, Algirdas Utkus, Gintaras Chomentauskas, Dovilė Karčiauskaitė

Registry-linked trialOpen access · goldAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland), 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT07349563 (Effect of Nature-Based Virtual Reality and Two-Dimensional Nature Videos on OSCE-Related Exam Stress in Nursing Students), which is not on this map. Cited by 23 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
23citing papers in PubMed, 4 pooled it
2.7field-weighted citation impact, top 9% 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.

NCT07349563 nacompletednot on this mapstarted 2025, after this paper: background citation

Effect of Nature-Based Virtual Reality and Two-Dimensional Nature Videos on OSCE-Related Exam Stress in Nursing Students: A Randomized Controlled Trial

TypeinterventionalSponsorAcibadem UniversityRan2025 to 2026Enrolled60ConditionsStress, Virtual Reality, Students, NursingArmsNature-Based Virtual Reality, 2D Nature Video
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

23 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 57 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Physiological Responses to Virtual Reality-Based Stress Regulation and Relaxation Interventions: A Systematic Review.Stress and health : journal of the International Society for the Investigation of Stress · 2026
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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

8 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Eglė MazgelytėDepartment of Physiology, Biochemistry, Microbiology and Laboratory Medicine, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Vilnius University, LT-03101 Vilnius, Lithuania.ORCID 0000-0002-1033-0607
Virginija RekienėHuman Study Center, LT-01132 Vilnius, Lithuania.
Edita DereškevičiūtėHuman Study Center, LT-01132 Vilnius, Lithuania.
Tomas PetrėnasDepartment of Human and Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Vilnius University, LT-03101 Vilnius, Lithuania.
Jurgita SongailienėDepartment of Human and Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Vilnius University, LT-03101 Vilnius, Lithuania.
Algirdas UtkusDepartment of Human and Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Vilnius University, LT-03101 Vilnius, Lithuania.
Gintaras ChomentauskasHuman Study Center, LT-01132 Vilnius, Lithuania.
Dovilė KarčiauskaitėDepartment of Physiology, Biochemistry, Microbiology and Laboratory Medicine, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Vilnius University, LT-03101 Vilnius, Lithuania.
Vilnius University · LTLithuanian Social Research Centre · LT

Funding

2014-2020 Operational Programme for the European Union Funds Investments in Lithuania J05-LVPA-K-03-0059
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Various relaxation techniques could benefit from merging with virtual reality (VR) technologies, as these technologies are easily applicable, involving, and user-friendly. To date, it is unclear which relaxation technique using biofeedback combined with VR technology is the most effective. The study aimed to compare the effectiveness of brief VR-based biofeedback-assisted relaxation techniques including electroencephalographic biofeedback, mindfulness-based biofeedback, galvanic skin response biofeedback, and respiratory biofeedback. Forty-three healthy volunteers (age 34.7 ± 7.2 years), comprising 28 (65%) women and 15 (35%) men, were enrolled in the study. All the participants were exposed to four distinct relaxation sessions according to a computer-generated random sequence. The efficacy of relaxation methods was evaluated by examining psychological, physiological, and biochemical stress indicators. All VR-based relaxation techniques reduced salivary steroid hormone (i.e., cortisol, cortisone, and total glucocorticoid) levels and increased galvanic skin response values. Similarly, all interventions led to a significantly reduced subjectively perceived psychological strain level. Three out of the four interventions (i.e., electroencephalographic, respiratory, and galvanic skin response-based biofeedback relaxation sessions) resulted in a decreased self-reported fatigue level. We suggest that newly developed VR-based relaxations techniques are potential tools for stress reduction and might be particularly suitable for individuals who are not capable of adhering to a strict and time-consuming stress management intervention schedule.

Indexed as

biofeedbackrelaxationstressvirtual reality

Identifiers

PMID34946455
PMCPMC8701384
OpenAlexW4200554027

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
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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.