SynthesisWiener klinische Wochenschrift2022
Virtual reality biofeedback interventions for treating anxiety : A systematic review, meta-analysis and future perspective.
Synthesis in Wiener klinische Wochenschrift, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT07498816 (Impact of Immersive Virtual Reality), which is not on this map. Cited by 24 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled 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.
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.
Impact of Immersive Virtual Reality (IVR) on Respiratory Effort: A Pilot Study in Healthy Adults
Who cites it
24 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 52 citations in OpenAlex.
- Heart rate variability in mental disorders: an umbrella review of meta-analyses.Translational psychiatry · 2025Pooled it
- Virtual Reality Breathing Interventions for Mental Health: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.Applied psychophysiology and biofeedback · 2024Pooled it
- Effect of Biofeedback-Based Interventions on the Psychological Outcomes of Pediatric Populations: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.Applied psychophysiology and biofeedback · 2023Pooled it
- 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 · 2026Article
- 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 · 2026Review
- Augmenting evidence-based PTSD psychotherapy with neuroscientifically informed interventions: A mind-body-brain approach.Journal of military, veteran and family health · 2026Article
- Persuasive Gamified Virtual Reality Experience to Enhance Engagement and Focus in Young Adults With Mild Anxiety Symptoms: Randomized Pilot Experimental Study.JMIR XR and spatial computing · 2026Article
- The Use of Virtual Reality for Pain and Anxiety Reduction: A Literature Review.Acta medica Lituanica · 2026Review
- Article
- Barriers to cervical cancer screening: a cross-sectional study of non-adherent Portuguese women.BMC primary care · 2025Article
- Virtual Reality Respiratory Biofeedback in an Outpatient Pediatric Pain Rehabilitation Program: Mixed Methods Pilot Study.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologies · 2025Article
- Cancer patients' acceptance of virtual reality interventions for self-emotion regulation.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Cognitive arousal-based measures quantify insights from self-ratings in response to sensory stimuli.PLOS mental health · 2025Article
- Media-Dependent Effects in Heart Rate Variability Biofeedback: A Systematic Review of Extended Reality and Screen-Based Training Approaches.Journal of medical extended reality · 2025Review
- Barriers to adopting therapeutic virtual reality: the perspective of clinical psychologists and psychotherapists.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2025Article
- Virtual stressors with real impact: what virtual reality-based biobehavioral research can teach us about typical and atypical stress responsivity.Translational psychiatry · 2024Review
- Exploring Heart Rate Variability Biofeedback as a Nonpharmacological Intervention for Enhancing Perioperative Care: A Narrative Review.Turkish journal of anaesthesiology and reanimation · 2024Article
- A Smartphone-Gamified Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy Augmented With Biofeedback for Ailurophobia: Development and Evaluation Study.JMIR serious games · 2024Article
- Cutting-Edge Physical Therapy in Mechanical Circulatory Support: Critical Care Physical Therapy Perspectives.Texas Heart Institute journal · 2023Article
- Virtual Reality Interventions for Mental Health.Current topics in behavioral neurosciences · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundVirtual reality (VR)-based biofeedback is a relatively new intervention and is increasingly being used for the treatment of anxiety disorders. This is the first research synthesis regarding effects and efficacy of this novel mode of treatment.
methodWe conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of the VR biofeedback literature on treating anxiety symptoms. The MEDLINE/PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science databases were searched for eligible pre-post comparisons and randomized controlled trials (RCTs). We used self-reported anxiety, heart rate (HR), and heart rate variability (HRV) as primary outcome measures.
resultsA total of 7 studies with 191 participants reported VR biofeedback interventions. Of these studies 5 were RCTs, with 103 participants receiving VR biofeedback and 99 control participants (either 2D biofeedback or waiting list controls). We found that VR biofeedback significantly lowers self-reported anxiety (g = -0.28) and HR (g = -0.45), but not HRV. Furthermore, there were no significant differences in outcomes between VR biofeedback and 2D biofeedback but a significant reduction in HR in the VR biofeedback group compared with the waiting list (g = -0.52).
conclusionWhile the first findings are optimistic, more controlled studies with a wider variety of samples are needed to bring this field forward. Particularly, children and adolescents may profit from the combination of gamification elements, VR, and biofeedback.
Indexed as
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What OpenQuestion holds
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.