An increasing number of games are now using virtual reality because of its ability to create appealing immersive worlds.

Is VR any different from a normal computer game? Children’s Hospital Los Angeles experts use virtual reality applications to help their young patients feel more comfortable during medical care.

“More young people now have this equipment at home,” says Anya Griffin, PhD, Director of Psychology at the Behavioral Health Institute. “Parents should think of virtual reality as active screen time. It is similar to using a tablet, cell phone, or computer, but VR is more immersive.”

Dr. Griffin plays virtual reality games as a way of vetting them. She is the first to admit that playing VR games is fun, but advises parents, “First, play the game before your child uses it to get familiar with it and monitor their use of VR closely."  

Dr. Griffin said ,"Instead of screen time where the child is sitting for long periods with their head looking down towards the screen, they are typically sitting upright, standing, or moving around to play the game. It can be helpful for a child who needs encouragement to move by making physical activity engaging."

However, VR may not be appropriate for children with sensory sensitivities, neurological conditions, or motion sickness, so it is important to consult with your child’s doctor before use.

Dr. Griffin shares several pointers for parents on managing kids’ (and their own!) exposure to virtual reality in daily life.

Appropriate VR gaming

• Examine games for age-appropriateness. “Most of the video games also come in virtual reality modalities now," Dr. Griffin says. "The best plan is for parents to try the VR game first. Some of these games may be violent or traumatizing and should be checked by an adult before a child plays them.” Avoid content that may trigger overstimulation, anxiety, trauma, or other intense reactions. “Ask your child about their experiences with VR to assess how they are reacting to it,” she advises.

• Restrict home use of virtual reality to children ages 12 and older. This is what manufacturers typically recommend for their games, as the headsets and optics for recreational games, unlike those used in medical applications, are not designed for the smaller faces of children and can cause eyestrain and nausea. It is also important to discontinue use if your child complains of blurred vision, dizziness, disorientation, eye strain, or headache.

• Limit playing time. In general, VR with children should be used with caution, closely monitored, and for brief sessions. For children ages 12 -15 years, the recommended session duration is 10-15 minutes, and for those ages 16-17 years, play can last up to 20 minutes, with breaks of at least 30 minutes between sessions. Keep in mind that VR use does not replace real-world play and social interactions, so use should be limited and balanced with other non-screen activities.

• Limit virtual reality play to no closer than two hours before bedtime. “All screen use is visually stimulating and is not recommended before bedtime,” Dr. Griffin says. “Kids should stop using VR or any other screens at least a couple of hours before bedtime, because it can impact their sleep cycle.”

• Be mindful of sensory load. "There is a lot of light coming through this equipment, more than that of a computer or tablet,” notes Dr. Griffin. “VR can be overstimulating.”

• Use caution with social and multiplayer games. Dr. Griffin recommends that parents monitor or disable the multiplayer interactivity of games. For example, in some games, “multiplayers are interacting and discussing the game, and this can be fun, but the social component means that your child is interacting with strangers virtually,” says Dr. Griffin. "The other players interacting and talking with your child could be any age, including adults. Keep your child under close adult supervision with these games.”

• Set up a safe area for movement. Ensure that your child has enough room to use VR and create a safety boundary setting on the headset. They should have an area that is clear of obstacles and remove any tripping hazards to prevent injuries while using VR. Children should always be supervised while using VR.

VRs expanding use cases in health care

At CHLA, virtual reality can be as effective as medication for children in easing anxiety and pain by capturing their attention and immersing it elsewhere during routine painful procedures like blood draws and IV placements.

Jeffrey I. Gold, PhD, Director, Integrative Medicine program, and Vrinda Bhardwaj, MD, FAAP, are collaborating on an initiative using virtual reality to reduce pain, anxiety, and distress associated with endoscopies, enabling kids to use virtual reality to skip anesthesia and its side effects. Both virtual reality and augmented reality—in which images are superimposed over the “real” environment where the patient is located but children can still see the room—are used in Interventional Radiology. 

The integrative medicine team and Interventional Radiology Director Joseph Miller, MD, MS, offer children their choice of headsets and virtual environments to help manage pain and anxiety during routine lumbar punctures, abscess treatment, thyroid biopsies, and tunneled central lines. 

In Radiology and Imaging, kids can use virtual reality games to learn how to stay still while receiving an MRI, eliminating the need for sedation. And augmented reality lowers kids' anxiety when they receive a mask for anesthesia induction before surgery.

A 2024 CHLA study found that outfitting kids with a specially designed pair of glasses paired with a smartphone game helped them stay calm when the anesthesia mask was put on their face.¹ 

Dr. Gold said ,"Virtual reality is effective for our kids for another reason—it gives them a sense of agency and helps them keep their autonomy in an environment where they don’t have a lot of say over what’s happening. These tools help them keep an internal sense of control."

He and Dr. Griffin are members of INOVATE-Pain (Interdisciplinary Network on Virtual and Augmented Technologies for Pain management), an international consortium focused on understanding the intersection between virtual and augmented reality and treating acute, procedural, and chronic pain in children.

Reference:

1) https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/jmxr.2023.0009

(Newswise/ SP)