Real Pain Dulled In Virtual Worlds

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Real Pain Dulled In Virtual Worlds

Posted by timothy on Monday February 23, 2004 @07:32PM from the burns-are-serious dept.

26199 writes "The BBC is reporting on a novel use of Virtual Reality: as a distraction for burn victims who suffer excruciating pain during daily dressing changes. What's most interesting is that it actually works. Another use of VR discussed is in the treatment of patients suffering Post Traumatic Stress Disorder; memories can be relived until they are accepted."

16 of 237 comments (clear)

like dentists used to do with white noise by johnjosephbachir · 2004-02-23 19:35 · Score: 5, Informative

iirc, dentists used to do something similar. patients would wear headphones while procedures were being done. i think they would play some sort of white noise.

j
1. Re:like dentists used to do with white noise by gid13 · 2004-02-23 19:39 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  I have a feeling white noise would cause me a lot less trauma than those terrible radio stations that are always on in dentists' offices. Is it too much to ask to hear Comfortably Numb? It's THEMATIC, dammit!
Detachment from Reality by laymil · 2004-02-23 19:38 · Score: 5, Insightful

So what happens when they come to rely on these techniques - people develop addictions to VR, just like they develop addictions to painkillers?

Sounds scary to me. Picture a person who can't live in the outside world because they have developed a psychological disorder based on the fact that the outside world only gives them pain.

Or the Slashdot reader who wants to experience VR so badly that he lights himself on fire...
that last one is definitely more likely, isn't it?
1. Re:Detachment from Reality by CB-in-Tokyo · 2004-02-23 20:43 · Score: 5, Interesting
  
  While it is certainly possible to develop addictions to VR, it is a bit of a mistake to compare them to addictions to painkillers. Most of the painkillers that you hear about in terms of addiction are the in the family of natural or syntetic opioids. These drugs cause physical changes inside the body that lead to a dependency on the substance itself. This physical dependency is what is usually being talked about when you hear the term "addiction" concerning these products. This dependency can be so strong, that if you cut off the chemical altogether, the patient can die.
  Having said that the problem of addiction to the VR, as you mentioned, is a real one. People become addicted to all sorts of activities, gambling, extreme sports, and sex to name a few.
  VR is realtively new, and being used for a treatment for pain should undergo studies to check to see if addiction may be a problem, or if there are any other adverse effects...like the flaming slashdotter!
Re:Safe? by Vthornheart · 2004-02-23 19:40 · Score: 5, Informative

Well, the trick of PTSD is that, for most people, the daily struggle to not remember (and avoid things that remind them) is much more traumatic. Imagine walking down a street, and a certain type of tree or smell in the air sets you off. Between having that and having one extremely painful session of emotion-dulling via reliving the experience, I'll take emotion dulling. At least it will bring a somewhat permanent conclusion.
This is, of course, assuming that it actually WORKS. =)

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-Vendal Thornheart
Somehow ... by RPI+Geek · 2004-02-23 19:41 · Score: 5, Interesting

... this part of the article rubs me the wrong way:
In collaboration with Cornell University in New York, Hoffman has built a virtual reality programme that is a simulation of the events of 9/11 designed to desensitise the patient to the events of that day.
It just seems too "Clockwork Orange" to me... :-/

--

- "Nobody came out that night, not one was ever seen. But Old Man Stauf is waiting there, crazy sick and mean!"
1. Re:Somehow ... by westendgirl · 2004-02-23 19:53 · Score: 5, Interesting
  
  Unfortunately, I think CNN's constant running of WTC clips subtitled "American Under Attack" has already had this desensitizing effect. The images don't make me retch the way they used to. Is this the passage of time, or the effects of seeing the same thing several thousand times?
  
  --
  -- SYS 64738 --
2. Re:Somehow ... by fenix+down · 2004-02-23 20:05 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  No, Clockwork Orange had all that elegant Kubrick style. This looks like Microsoft Paint shit all over my Metroid cartridge.
I need this for school by Flingles · 2004-02-23 19:41 · Score: 5, Funny

This would be great for relieving all that "intense pain" that I experience during class/study time.

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Karma: -2^0.5 . Mainly due to the imbibing of dihydrogen monoxide
Dulls the Pain of Social Rejection by spun · 2004-02-23 19:42 · Score: 5, Funny

Scientists today discovered that Virtual Realities can dull the excruciating pain of social rejection suffered by millions of geeks and nerds on a daily basis. It also helped them recover from the Post Traumatic Stress of Wedgies, Wet Willies and the dreaded Rear Admiral. Lead Scientist Nelson Muntz claims 9 out of 10 nerds enjoyed a Virtual Rear Admiral far more than the real version.

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- None can love freedom heartily, but good men; the rest love not freedom, but license. -- John Milton
Re:Safe? by harvardian · 2004-02-23 19:46 · Score: 5, Interesting

I took an anxiety disorders class with one of the most famous voices in PTSD (McNally), so IANAP but IW a student of a psychologist.

One of the aspects of virtual reality treatments for phobias (we didn't study its use for PTSD) is that the patient is always accompanied by their psychologist, and they always have the option of opting out, even mid-simulation. And a nice fact of psychology is that if you have a feeling of control (whether you have control or not), you're less likely to run away. So while many may be too fearful to go through with the treatment, it happens in a supportive, controled environment, and that can be very helpful. The result may well be better than what we've got now, since PTSD's not easy to treat.
Why not slashdot by foidulus · 2004-02-23 19:48 · Score: 5, Funny

Why not just have them read slashdot at -1, that usually makes me forget about my painful, painful life....ow...existance
Distraction by ChimpyMonkey · 2004-02-23 19:54 · Score: 5, Insightful

..how is this any different from when you were a child, your mother distracting you from injuries with a lollie/toy? I know it used to work on me, and it sure works on my girls. It seems a bit of a reach to claim this is anything new.
Survivor Guilt by malia8888 · 2004-02-23 20:52 · Score: 5, Interesting

Some years ago I wrote a small book for the V.A. for spouses and children of veterans with PTSD. I found in talking to soldiers and other victims of PTSD that survivor guilt was such a crippling part of the disorder. So, I found this snippet encouraging in the article: One patient overcame her sense of guilt at running away from the scene and failing to help others who subsequently died.
If this treatment can truly help deal with survivor guilt, then it is a very useful therapy.

--
Harpo Tunnel Syndrome--my wrist feels funny.
Memories can be relived until they are accepted by RyatNrrd · 2004-02-23 20:53 · Score: 5, Funny

We found nuclear weapons in Iraq.
We found nuclear weapons in Iraq.
We found nuclear weapons in Iraq.
Re:Amazing... by fpga_guy · 2004-02-23 21:12 · Score: 5, Interesting

I have a friend who works on a similar idea in the rteatment of schizophrenia and other hallucinatory mental illnesses.
They use VR and graphics technology to simulate the visual and auditory hallucinations that sometimes accompany these diseases. NewScientist had a small writeup