Using Virtual Reality Simulations to Alleviate Fear and Anxiety in Children Awaiting MRI: A Small-Scale Randomized Controlled Trial

Purpose: Up to 75% of paediatric patients experience anxiety and distress before undergoing new medical procedures. Virtual reality is an interesting avenue for alleviating the stress and fear of paediatric patients due to its ability to completely immerse the child in the virtual world and thus expose them to the sights and sounds of an MRI before undergoing the exam. We aimed to explore the impact of virtual reality exposure on reducing fear and anxiety in paediatric patients scheduled to undergo an MRI. Methods: We conducted a prospective randomized control trial in a tertiary paediatric hospital over three weeks. Inclusion criteria comprised children aged 4 to 14 undergoing MRI without medical contraindications for VR use. Thirty patients (16 in VR, 14 in control) were included in the study. The VR group experienced a simulated MRI room with typical sounds for up to 5 minutes before their actual MRI. Fear and anxiety were measured using the FACES scale before and after MRI for the control group as well as after VR exposure for the VR group. Results: The VR group exhibited a significant reduction in anxiety post-VR exposure regarding the upcoming MRI (p = 0.009). Conclusions: VR exposure effectively reduces pre-MRI anxiety in paediatric patients who are about to undergo the exam. This research is in line with previous findings, however there is need for further investigation in this field using larger and MRI-naïve groups of patients.