Virtual Reality for Anxiety Reduction Demonstrated by Quantitative EEG: A Pilot Study.
Jeff Tarrant, Jeremy Viczko, Hannah Cope
Frontiers in Psychology 2018 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01280 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Pilot study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Anxious participants |
| Intervention | Nature-based mindfulness VR experience |
| Topics | Anxiety Meditation |
| Keywords | Qeeg Vr Nature Sloreta Virtual reality |
| Key points | A nature-based mindfulness VR experience reduced anxiety and altered brain activity in ways consistent with physiological relaxation, beyond the effects of quiet rest alone. |
Abstract
While previous research has established that virtual reality (VR) can be successfully used in the treatment of anxiety disorders, including phobias and PTSD, no research has examined changes in brain patterns associated with the use of VR for generalized anxiety management. In the current study, we compared a brief nature-based mindfulness VR experience to a resting control condition on anxious participants. Self-reported anxiety symptoms and resting-state EEG were recorded across intervals containing quiet rest or the VR intervention. EEG activity was analyzed as a function of global power shifts in Alpha and Beta activity, and with sLORETA current source density estimates of cingulate cortex regions of interest. Results demonstrated that both a quiet rest control condition and the VR meditation significantly reduced subjective reports of anxiety and increased Alpha power. However, the VR intervention uniquely resulted in shifting proportional power from higher Beta frequencies into lower Beta frequencies, and significantly reduced broadband Beta activity in the anterior cingulate cortex. These effects are consistent with a physiological reduction of anxiety. This pilot study provides preliminary evidence supporting the therapeutic potential of VR for anxiety management and stress reduction programs.
Comparable studies
Other non-randomized and open-label trials on anxiety, most cited first.
Citations in the library
Cited by 17
- Virtual Reality as a Moderator of Psychedelic-Assisted Psychotherapy Frontiers in Psychology March 4, 2022
- Virtual Reality Mindfulness for Meta-Competence Training among People with Different Mental Disorders: A Systematic Review Psychiatry International October 18, 2023
- Examining the Use of Virtual Reality to Support Mindfulness Skills Practice in Mood and Anxiety Disorders: Mixed Methods Study. Journal of Medical Internet Research December 6, 2024
- Effects on Mood and EEG States After Meditation in Augmented Reality With and Without Adjunctive Neurofeedback Frontiers in Virtual Reality March 22, 2021
- Psychological and physiological health outcomes of virtual reality-based mindfulness interventions: A systematic review and evidence mapping of empirical studies. Digital health 2024
and 12 more in the library
Cites 9
- A default mode of brain function Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences January 16, 2001
- How Does Mindfulness Meditation Work? Proposing Mechanisms of Action From a Conceptual and Neural Perspective Perspectives on Psychological Science October 14, 2011
- Meditation Programs for Psychological Stress and Well-being JAMA Internal Medicine January 6, 2014
- Mapping the self in the brain's default mode network Neuroimage February 15, 2016
- Functional neuroanatomy of meditation: A review and meta-analysis of 78 functional neuroimaging investigations. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews March 21, 2016
and 4 more in the library