Clinical Report: Exploring Mechanisms and Stress-Response Systems in VR Stress Paradigms
Overview
This scoping review maps virtual reality (VR) stress paradigms and examines their engagement of various stress-response systems. It identifies five clusters of VR paradigms and highlights the differential activation of subjective, autonomic, endocrine, and neural responses based on paradigm characteristics.
Background
Understanding how different stress paradigms engage various stress-response systems is crucial. VR-based stress paradigms offer a controlled yet ecologically valid approach to studying stress responses.
Data Highlights
No numerical data or trial data presented in the article.
Key Findings
Five clusters of VR stress paradigms were identified: social-evaluative, cognitive/performance-based, threat/fear-based, analogue trauma, and complex ecologically valid paradigms.
VR consistently elicited subjective and autonomic responses, while endocrine and neural responses varied by paradigm type.
Social-evaluative paradigms showed robust subjective and autonomic activation with variable HPA-axis responses.
Threat-based paradigms elicited strong autonomic and affective responses, while cognitive paradigms were linked to performance-related stress.
Evidence on early adversity suggested differential sensitivity to specific stressor types, though its role as a moderator remains underexplored.
Clinical Implications
The findings indicate that VR-based stress paradigms engage specific stress-response systems.
Conclusion
VR-based stress paradigms selectively engage distinct response systems, highlighting the need for further research integrating early adversity.
by Mara S. Singeap-Tiron, Cristiana Amalia Onita, Daniela Viorelia Matei, Petru Romeo Dobrin, Ioan Gotca, Mihaela-Alina Radeanu, Diana I. Petrescu-Miron, Veronica Mocanu
The largest study of former National Football League players found excess persisted even after accounting for the lower overall mortality associated with elite athletic participation.
