Aganov Sam, Nayshtetik Eugene, Nagibin Vasyl, Lebed Yuriy
Doctor Sam Medical Network, Ukraine.
Planexta, California, USA.
Arch Med Sci. 2020 Feb 24;18(2):336-343. doi: 10.5114/aoms.2020.93239. eCollection 2022.
Traditional approaches to stress management are difficult to learn and to implicate in daily life. Emerging technologies like virtual reality (VR) have become a target of extensive study for recreational and medical purposes. The autonomic nervous system (ANS) plays a crucial role in stress response, post-stress relaxation, and recovery. This study aimed to assess the effect of modified VR intervention on short-term heart rate variability (HRV) and perceived anxiety levels in healthy volunteers affected by moderate stress. The stressors included mental arithmetic tasks.
The study involved healthy adults, of both sexes, aged 20 to 60 years, without history of cardiovascular diseases, essential abnormalities on ECG, and with normal or moderate level of situational anxiety. The VR gadgets used in the study were commercially available Bobo-VR X1 headsets, one with modification for medical applications (Pure Purr technology) and one with none (sham technology). The investigational (Pure Purr) headset with an audio-visual sequence was modified by adding a binaural effect and was synchronised with the tract of respiratory movements and the frequency of heart rate. To track changes in the ANS, participants underwent both electrocardiography (ECG) and measurement of HRV.
The findings showed a significant increase in parasympathetic activity after 5-minute exposure to the investigational device compared to stress, as shown by high-frequency HRV (499.8 ms and 340.5 ms, < 0.001). RMSSD for a modified headset was higher ( = 0.02) compared to a sham headset with no modifications (RMSSD difference of 12.3% (2.6% to 23.1%)). The LF/HF ratio, however, was lower (difference of 14.5% (2.6% to 23.1%), = 0.04).
These findings suggest that a medical device with pre-installed Pure Purr software had a significant effect on the recovery of the ANS in healthy volunteers affected by moderate stress.
传统的压力管理方法很难学习且难以应用于日常生活。虚拟现实（VR）等新兴技术已成为娱乐和医疗目的广泛研究的对象。自主神经系统（ANS）在应激反应、应激后放松和恢复中起着至关重要的作用。本研究旨在评估改良VR干预对受中度压力影响的健康志愿者短期心率变异性（HRV）和感知焦虑水平的影响。应激源包括心算任务。
该研究纳入了年龄在20至60岁之间、无心血管疾病史、心电图无基本异常且情境焦虑水平正常或中度的健康成年人，男女不限。研究中使用的VR设备是市售的Bobo-VR X1头戴式耳机，一个带有用于医疗应用的改良（纯咕噜技术），另一个没有（假技术）。带有视听序列的研究用（纯咕噜）头戴式耳机通过添加双耳效应进行了改良，并与呼吸运动轨迹和心率频率同步。为了追踪自主神经系统的变化，参与者接受了心电图（ECG）检查和HRV测量。
研究结果显示，与应激状态相比，在接触研究设备5分钟后，副交感神经活动显著增加，高频HRV表明了这一点（499.8毫秒和340.5毫秒，<0.001）。与未改良的假头戴式耳机相比，改良头戴式耳机的RMSSD更高（=0.02）（RMSSD差异为12.3%（2.6%至23.1%））。然而，低频/高频比值较低（差异为14.5%（2.6%至23.1%），=0.04）。
这些发现表明，预安装纯咕噜软件的医疗设备对受中度压力影响的健康志愿者的自主神经系统恢复有显著影响。
