by Amy King, University of Plymouth Credit: CC0 Public Domain We all feel physical pain in different ways, but people with nerve injuries often have a dysfunctional pain suppression system, making them particularly prone to discomfort. Now researchers have uncovered that virtual reality (VR) can reduce types of pain typically seen in patients with nerve injuries—and...
by University of Basel In the virtual reality app, users gradually rise to greater heights and can indicate the degree of their fear at each level. Credit: Bentz et al., npj Digital Medicine 2021 Researchers from the University of Basel have developed a virtual reality app for smartphones to reduce fear of heights. Now, they have...
CENTER FOR BRAINHEALTH Virtual reality isn’t just for gaming. Researchers can use virtual reality, or VR, to assess participants’ attention, memory and problem-solving abilities in real world settings. By using VR technology to examine how folks complete daily tasks, like making a grocery list, researchers can better help clinical populations that struggle with executive functioning to manage...
by Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne The researchers measured the heart rates of the participants as they went through each VR scenario, collecting a large body of heart-rate variation data under controlled experimental conditions. We all react to stress in different ways. A sudden loud noise or flash of light can elicit different degrees of response...
by Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne The researchers measured the heart rates of the participants as they went through each VR scenario, collecting a large body of heart-rate variation data under controlled experimental conditions. Credit: EPFL We all react to stress in different ways. A sudden loud noise or flash of light can elicit different degrees of response...
THE VIRTUAL BODY AS EXPERIENCED BY THE USER view more CREDIT: TOHOKU UNIVERSITY Researchers at the Smart-Aging Research Center (IDAC) at Tohoku University have developed an innovative training protocol that, utilizing immersive virtual reality (IVR), leads to real physical and cognitive benefits. We all know that physical exercise is crucial for overall well-being and helps...
THE MOUNT SINAI HOSPITAL / MOUNT SINAI SCHOOL OF MEDICINE FIGURES: IDENTIFICATION OF A G PROTEIN-INDEPENDENT ACTIVATOR (GIGA1) OF GIRK CHANNELS view more CREDIT: PAUL SLESINGER, PHD Bottom Line: Potassium channels play an important role in controlling the electrical activity of neurons in the brain. We identified and characterized a new compound, called GiGA1, that...
by Binghamton University As the COVID-19 pandemic continues into its second month across the U.S., supplies of personal protective equipment (PPE) such as N95 masks and face shields continue to run low at many hospitals. Researchers at Binghamton University’s Thomas J. Watson School of Engineering and Applied Science have addressed this problem by designing sterilization...
by University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine People with multiple sclerosis (MS) often have a greatly increased risk of falling and injuring themselves even when they feel they’re able to walk normally. Now a team led by scientists from the UNC School of Medicine has demonstrated what could be a relatively...
by Estonian Research Council The use of virtual environments is a new and fast-developing field in pediatric neurorehabilitation. The first longitudinal study in Estonia on the cognitive and social rehabilitation of children with acquired brain injury was completed at the University of Tartu, confirming the efficiency of using computer-based programs and virtual reality for improving...
