In adults with chronic cancer pain, a virtual reality (VR)-guided meditation session produced detectable changes in brain electrical activity. Electroencephalograph (EEG) recordings showed increased beta and gamma wave power during meditation compared with before and after the session, along with changes in theta and alpha waves in frontal, central, and parietal brain regions. Coherence (synchronization) between frontal, parietal, and occipital areas also shifted. However, these brain changes were not associated with participants' pain scores. The findings demonstrate that VR-guided meditation alters neurophysiological signals but do not link those signals to pain reduction.
During a virtual reality (VR)-guided meditation session, brain activity changes were detectable via electroencephalograph (EEG) in 10 adults with cancer-related chronic pain. Increased beta and gamma bandwidth power occurred during meditation compared with before and after. Theta and alpha band changes were observed between pre- and post-session resting states. Coherence changes appeared in theta, alpha, and gamma bands among frontal, parietal, and occipital regions. No significant associations were found between pain scores and EEG signal power. The study demonstrates the feasibility of recording EEG during VR-guided meditation and suggests distinct neurophysiological signals are detectable, though these changes were not necessarily linked to pain reduction.