ArticleERJ open research2023
Virtual reality intervention alleviates dyspnoea in patients recovering from COVID-19 pneumonia.
Article in ERJ open research, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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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.
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Who cites it
10 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 16 citations in OpenAlex.
- Virtual reality in adults with respiratory diseases experiencing dyspnoea: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMJ open respiratory research · 2025Pooled it
- Medical hypnosis mitigates laboratory dyspnoea in healthy humans: a randomised, controlled experimental trial.The European respiratory journal · 2024Trial
- Dyspnoea patterns in patients with advanced diseases: a functional MRI feasibility study protocol.BMJ open · 2026Observational
- Augmenting locomotor perception by remapping tactile foot sensation to the back.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitation · 2024Article
- Probing corporeal awareness in women through virtual reality induction of embreathment illusion.Scientific reports · 2024Article
- Immersive Innovations: Exploring the Diverse Applications of Virtual Reality (VR) in Healthcare.Cureus · 2024Review
- A Personalized Approach Using an N-of-1 Trial of Virtual Reality Hypnosis for Persistent Dyspnea.Journal of medical extended reality · 2024Article
- Advocating for Action: Exploring the Potential of Virtual Reality in Breathing Exercise - A Review of The Clinical Applications.Patient preference and adherence · 2024Review
- ERS International Congress 2022: highlights from the Respiratory Clinical Care and Physiology Assembly.ERJ open research · 2023Article
- Anonymizing at-home fitness: enhancing privacy and motivation with virtual reality and try-on.Frontiers in public health · 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
11 authors at 4 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Background: Immersive virtual reality (iVR)-based digital therapeutics are gaining clinical attention in the field of pain management. Based on known analogies between pain and dyspnoea, we investigated the effects of visual respiratory feedback on persistent dyspnoea in patients recovering from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia. Methods: We performed a controlled, randomised, single-blind, crossover proof-of-concept study (feasibility and initial clinical efficacy) to evaluate an iVR-based intervention to alleviate dyspnoea in patients recovering from COVID-19 pneumonia. Included patients reported persistent dyspnoea (≥5 on a 10-point scale) and preserved cognitive function (Montreal Cognitive Assessment score >24). Assignment was random and concealed. Patients received synchronous (intervention) or asynchronous (control) feedback of their breathing, embodied Results: Study enrolment was open between November 2020 and April 2021. 26 patients were enrolled (27% women; median age 55 years, interquartile range (IQR) 18 years). Data were available for 24 of 26 patients. The median rating on a 7-point Likert scale of breathing comfort improved from 1 (IQR 2) at baseline to 2 (IQR 1) for synchronous feedback, but remained unchanged at 1 (IQR 1.5) for asynchronous feedback (p<0.05 between iVR conditions). Moreover, 91.2% of all patients were satisfied with the intervention (p<0.0001) and 66.7% perceived it as beneficial for their breathing (p<0.05). Conclusion: Our iVR-based digital therapy presents a feasible and safe respiratory rehabilitation tool that improves breathing comfort in patients recovering from COVID-19 infection presenting with persistent dyspnoea. Future research should investigate the intervention's generalisability to persistent dyspnoea with other aetiologies and its potential for preventing chronification.
Identifiers
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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.