Publications

@article{chiricoVirtualRealityMusic2020,

title = {Virtual Reality and Music Therapy as Distraction Interventions to Alleviate Anxiety and Improve Mood States in Breast Cancer Patients during Chemotherapy},

author = { Andrea Chirico and Patrizia Maiorano and Paola Indovina and Carla Milanese and Giovan Giacomo Giordano and Fabio Alivernini and Giovanni Iodice and Luigi Gallo and Giuseppe De Pietro and Fabio Lucidi and Gerardo} {Botti and Michelino De Laurentiis and Antonio Giordano},

doi = {10.1002/jcp.29422},

issn = {1097-4652},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {Journal of cellular physiology},

volume = {235},

number = {6},

pages = {5353--5362},

abstract = {Psychological distress is a common consequence of breast cancer diagnosis and treatment and could further exacerbate therapy side effects. Interventions increasing treatment tolerance are crucial to improve both patients' quality of life and adherence to therapies. Virtual reality (VR) has emerged as an effective distraction tool for different medical procedures. Here, we assessed the efficacy of immersive and interactive VR in alleviating chemotherapy-related psychological distress in a cohort of Italian breast cancer patients, also comparing its effects with those of music therapy (MT). Thirty patients were included in the VR group, 30 in the MT group, and 34 in the control group, consisting of patients receiving standard care during chemotherapy. Our data suggest that both VR and MT are useful interventions for alleviating anxiety and for improving mood states in breast cancer patients during chemotherapy. Moreover, VR seems more effective than MT in relieving anxiety, depression, and fatigue.},

keywords = {Cancer, Chemotherapy, Healthcare, Virtual Reality},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{indovinaVirtualRealityDistraction2018,

title = {Virtual Reality as a Distraction Intervention to Relieve Pain and Distress During Medical Procedures: A Comprehensive Literature Review},

author = { Paola Indovina and Daniela Barone and Luigi Gallo and Andrea Chirico and Giuseppe De Pietro and Antonio Giordano},

issn = {0749-8047},

year  = {2018},

date = {2018-01-01},

journal = {The Clinical Journal of Pain},

volume = {34},

number = {9},

abstract = {Objectives: This review aims to provide a framework for evaluating the utility of virtual reality (VR) as a distraction intervention to alleviate pain and distress during medical procedures. We first describe the theoretical bases underlying the VR analgesic and anxiolytic effects and define the main factors contributing to its efficacy, which largely emerged from studies on healthy volunteers. Then, we provide a comprehensive overview of the clinical trials using VR distraction during different medical procedures, such as burn injury treatments, chemotherapy, surgery, dental treatment, and other diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. Methods: A broad literature search was performed using as main terms ``virtual reality,'' ``distraction,'' and ``pain.'' No date limit was applied and all the retrieved studies on immersive VR distraction during medical procedures were selected. Results: VR has proven to be effective in reducing procedural pain, as almost invariably observed even in patients subjected to extremely painful procedures, such as patients with burn injuries undergoing wound care, and physical therapy. Moreover, VR seemed to decrease cancer-related symptoms in different settings, including during chemotherapy. Only mild and infrequent side effects were observed. Discussion: Despite these promising results, future long-term randomized controlled trials with larger sample sizes and evaluating not only self-report measures but also physiological variables are needed. Further studies are also required both to establish predictive factors to select patients who can benefit from VR distraction and to design hardware/software systems tailored to the specific needs of different patients and able to provide the greatest distraction at the lowest cost.},

keywords = {Chemotherapy, Healthcare, Pain, Virtual Reality},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}