According to a new study published in the "American College of Gastroenterology 2022", a three-dimensional, immersive experience utilizing a virtual reality headset for about 20 minutes a day for two weeks led to remarkable improvements in symptoms and quality of life for patients with functional dyspepsia (indigestion) in comparison  with the control group. After eating, people with indigestion frequently experience excessive belching, nausea, belly ache and other gastrointestinal symptoms.

Researchers aimed to evaluate the usefulness of virtual reality for functional dyspepsia management. According to certain theories, immersing oneself in a new environment might help people forget about belly ache. Virtual reality may potentially alter the signals that are exchanged between the gut and the brain, reducing pain and discomfort. In recent years, interest in virtual reality's potential medical applications has elevated. In several clinical settings, it has alleviated the symptoms of both chronic and acute pain.

Notably, 10% of people have functional dyspepsia. Although cognitive behavioural treatment (a type of talk therapy), can be expensive and has limited availability, some patients reported reduced symptoms after receiving it. Additionally, there are no drugs for dyspepsia that have been FDA-approved. Some patients use over-the-counter medications to try to control their symptoms. But, these substances might have adverse effects. Hence, there is a critical need for new, efficient, and safe functional dyspepsia therapy alternatives.

In the first study, the researchers examined virtual reality's potential for alleviating dyspepsia.  A total of 10 participants were randomly allocated to a control group and 27 participants to virtual reality group. Patients in the control group watched two-dimensional nature movies. Those in the therapy group had the option of choosing a guided, passive, or active virtual reality experience. The average daily usage of the virtual reality headset was a little more than once, for a total of 23 minutes. The average age of volunteers was around 45 years, and 81% of them were females.

At the initiation of the trial and at weeks 1 and 2, participants completed questionnaires to report their quality of life and pain, as well as to note any changes. At two weeks, both groups' symptoms were lessened, but the virtual reality group had much higher improvement on the standard symptom severity scale. All participants' quality of life scores increased after two weeks, but those in the therapy group had higher improvements. Out of 17, 11 patients from the virtual reality group reported adverse effects, but none of them were deemed very harmful. Due to migraine, one participant from the virtual reality group withdrew from the trial.

The short duration (2 weeks) of the trial and the small number participants were the limitations of the trial. The investigators intended to explore virtual reality for a longer duration in more functional dyspepsia sufferers. They would also wish to explore the improvements made by virtual reality with pharmaceuticals used to relieve symptoms, and evaluate whether merging the two technologies will provide even better outcomes.

Given the cost, not everyone can afford cognitive behavioral treatment. Virtual reality is advantageous to assist the patients with functional dyspepsia if it is accessible and affordable. With the addition of a low-cost device, many smartphones may be made to function as 3D virtual reality headsets. Future research with more participants is necessary.