{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,9]],"date-time":"2026-10-09T05:18:12Z","timestamp":1791523092341,"version":"4.3.4"},"reference-count":14,"publisher":"Springer Science and Business Media LLC","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2019,12,1]],"date-time":"2019-12-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1575158400000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2019,12,30]],"date-time":"2019-12-30T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1577664000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":29,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["link.springer.com"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Ital J Pediatr"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2019,12]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title><jats:p>Virtual Reality (VR) as a tool for pain reduction is the research topic of several clinical trial for Randomized Controlled Trials despite its wide use in the daily clinical practice for non- pharmacological reduction of pain in some countries. At present, there are no published reviews of VR-efficacy of pain reduction in pediatric patients. That is why we made a systematic review of the efficacy of VR as a tool for pain reduction in children and adolescents. Electronic databases and gray literature published between 2014 and 2019 were analyzed. A total of 9 studies were eligible according to the established inclusion criteria. Results show that virtual reality is a valid tool for non-pharmacological pain reduction and that this approach is to be preferred to the standard reduction techniques currently in use. However, more studies using standardized experimental methodologies are needed to provide more systematic comparison and quantitative synthesis.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1186\/s13052-019-0757-0","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2019,12,30]],"date-time":"2019-12-30T18:02:22Z","timestamp":1577728942000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/springer_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":56,"title":["Does virtual reality reduce pain in pediatric patients? A systematic review"],"prefix":"10.1186","volume":"45","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0598-7521","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Anna Maria","family":"Iannicelli","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Daniele","family":"Vito","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Concetta Anna","family":"Dodaro","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Pasquale","family":"De Matteo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Rita","family":"Nocerino","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Angela","family":"Sepe","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Valeria","family":"Raia","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"297","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2019,12,30]]},"reference":[{"key":"757_CR1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1243","DOI":"10.1097\/01.chi.0000135621.23145.05","volume":"43","author":"J Gershon","year":"2004","unstructured":"Gershon J, Zimand E, Pickering M, Rothbaum BO, Hodges L. A pilot and feasibility study of virtual reality as a distraction for children with cancer. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2004;43:1243\u20139.","journal-title":"J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry"},{"key":"757_CR2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"263","DOI":"10.1023\/A:1024772308758","volume":"12","author":"BO Rothbaum","year":"1999","unstructured":"Rothbaum BO, Hodges L, Alarcon R, Ready D, Shahar F, Graap K, et al. Virtual reality exposure therapy for PTSD Vietnam Veterans: a case study. J Trauma Stress. 1999;12:263\u201371.","journal-title":"J Trauma Stress"},{"key":"757_CR3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2533","DOI":"10.2147\/NDT.S89542","volume":"11","author":"C Botella","year":"2015","unstructured":"Botella C, Serrano B, Ba\u00f1os RM, Garcia-Palacios A. Virtual reality exposure-based therapy for the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder: a review of its efficacy, the adequacy of the treatment protocol, and its acceptability. Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat. 2015;11:2533\u201345.","journal-title":"Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat"},{"key":"757_CR4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e10965","DOI":"10.2196\/10965","volume":"6","author":"T Oing","year":"2018","unstructured":"Oing T, Prescott J. Implementations of virtual reality for anxiety-related disorders: systematic review. JMIR Serious Games. 2018;6:e10965. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.2196\/10965.","journal-title":"JMIR Serious Games"},{"key":"757_CR5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/pbc.27525","volume":"66","author":"AK Agrawal","year":"2019","unstructured":"Agrawal AK, Robertson S, Litwin L, Tringale E, Treadwell M, Hoppe C, et al. Virtual reality as complementary pain therapy in hospitalized patients with sickle cell disease. Pediatr Blood Cancer. 2019;66:e27525. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/pbc.27525.","journal-title":"Pediatr Blood Cancer"},{"key":"757_CR6","first-page":"55","volume":"22","author":"MN Al-Halabi","year":"2018","unstructured":"Al-Halabi MN, Bshara N, Al NZ. Effectiveness of audio visual distraction using virtual reality eyeglasses versus tablet device in child behavioral management during inferior alveolar nerve block. Anaesth Pain Intensive Care. 2018;22:55\u201361.","journal-title":"Anaesth Pain Intensive Care"},{"key":"757_CR7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"175","DOI":"10.2217\/pmt-2017-0040","volume":"8","author":"R Chad","year":"2018","unstructured":"Chad R, Emaan S, Jillian O. Effect of virtual reality headset for pediatric fear and pain distraction during immunization. Pain Manag. 2018;8:175\u20139.","journal-title":"Pain Manag"},{"key":"757_CR8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"160","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jpeds.2019.02.034","volume":"209","author":"E Chan","year":"2019","unstructured":"Chan E, Hovenden M, Ramage E, Ling N, Pham JH, Rahim A, et al. Virtual reality for pediatric needle procedural pain: two randomized clinical trials. J Pediatr. 2019;209:160\u20137.","journal-title":"J Pediatr"},{"key":"757_CR9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"285","DOI":"10.1089\/g4h.2018.0111","volume":"8","author":"S Dumoulin","year":"2019","unstructured":"Dumoulin S, Bouchard S, Ellis J, Lavoie KL, V\u00e9zina MP, Charbonneau P, et al. A randomized controlled trial on the use of virtual reality for needle-related procedures in children and adolescents in the emergency department. Games Health J. 2019;8:285\u201393.","journal-title":"Games Health J"},{"key":"757_CR10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"364","DOI":"10.4103\/JISPPD.JISPPD_1158_17","volume":"36","author":"P Niharika","year":"2018","unstructured":"Niharika P, Reddy NV, Srujana P, Srikanth K, Daneswari V, Geetha KS. Effects of distraction using virtual reality technology on pain perception and anxiety levels in children during pulp therapy of primary molars. J Indian Soc Pedod Prev Dent. 2018;36:364\u20139.","journal-title":"J Indian Soc Pedod Prev Dent"},{"key":"757_CR11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"981","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jopan.2017.12.010","volume":"33","author":"G\u00d6 Ger\u00e7eker","year":"2018","unstructured":"Ger\u00e7eker G\u00d6, Binay \u015e, Bilsin E, Kahraman A, Y\u0131lmaz HB. Effects of virtual reality and external cold and vibration on pain in 7- to 12-year-old children during phlebotomy: a randomized controlled trial. J Perianesth Nurs. 2018;33:981\u20139.","journal-title":"J Perianesth Nurs"},{"key":"757_CR12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"685","DOI":"10.1016\/j.pmn.2015.03.001","volume":"16","author":"Y Hua","year":"2015","unstructured":"Hua Y, Qiu R, Yao W-Y, Zhang Q, Chen X-L. The effect of virtual reality distraction on pain relief during dressing changes in children with chronic wounds on lower limbs. Pain Manag Nurs. 2015;16:685\u201391.","journal-title":"Pain Manag Nurs"},{"key":"757_CR13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"395","DOI":"10.1097\/BCR.0000000000000019","volume":"35","author":"D Jeffs","year":"2014","unstructured":"Jeffs D, Dorman D, Brown S, Files A, Graves T, Kirk E, et al. Effect of virtual reality on adolescent pain during burn wound care. J Burn Care Res. 2014;35:395\u2013408.","journal-title":"J Burn Care Res"},{"key":"757_CR14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1011","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cpr.2010.07.001","volume":"30","author":"KM Malloy","year":"2010","unstructured":"Malloy KM, Milling LS. The effectiveness of virtual reality distraction for pain reduction: a systematic review. Clin Psychol Rev. 2010;30:1011\u20138.","journal-title":"Clin Psychol Rev"}],"container-title":["Italian Journal of Pediatrics"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"http:\/\/link.springer.com\/content\/pdf\/10.1186\/s13052-019-0757-0.pdf","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"http:\/\/link.springer.com\/article\/10.1186\/s13052-019-0757-0\/fulltext.html","content-type":"text\/html","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"http:\/\/link.springer.com\/content\/pdf\/10.1186\/s13052-019-0757-0.pdf","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2021,3,27]],"date-time":"2021-03-27T06:02:40Z","timestamp":1616824960000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/ijponline.biomedcentral.com\/articles\/10.1186\/s13052-019-0757-0"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2019,12]]},"references-count":14,"journal-issue":{"issue":"1","published-print":{"date-parts":[[2019,12]]}},"alternative-id":["757"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1186\/s13052-019-0757-0","relation":{},"ISSN":["1824-7288"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1824-7288","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2019,12]]},"assertion":[{"value":"13 June 2019","order":1,"name":"received","label":"Received","group":{"name":"ArticleHistory","label":"Article History"}},{"value":"3 December 2019","order":2,"name":"accepted","label":"Accepted","group":{"name":"ArticleHistory","label":"Article History"}},{"value":"30 December 2019","order":3,"name":"first_online","label":"First Online","group":{"name":"ArticleHistory","label":"Article History"}},{"value":"Not applicable.","order":1,"name":"Ethics","group":{"name":"EthicsHeading","label":"Ethics approval and consent to participate"}},{"value":"Not applicable.","order":2,"name":"Ethics","group":{"name":"EthicsHeading","label":"Consent for publication"}},{"value":"The authors declare that they have no competing interests.","order":3,"name":"Ethics","group":{"name":"EthicsHeading","label":"Competing interests"}}],"article-number":"171"}}