Pain symptoms have been addressed with a variety of therapeutic measures in the past, but as we look to the future, we begin encountering new options for patient care and individual health and well-being. Recent studies indicate that computer-generated graphic environments--virtual reality (VR)--can offer effective cognitive distractions for individuals suffering from pain arising from a variety of physical and psychological illnesses. Studies also indicate the effectiveness of VR for both chronic and acute pain conditions. Future possibilities for VR to address pain-related concerns include such diverse groups as military personnel, space exploration teams, the general labor force, and our ever increasing elderly population. VR also shows promise to help in such areas as drug abuse, at-home treatments, and athletic injuries.

Attention and eye movement control are essential for gathering sensory information in our environment however, both attention redirection and eye movement control are atypical in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Improvements in the accuracy and timing of attention redirection and saccadic eye movements could have corollary beneficial effects on social engagement. Here, we show pilot data indicating proof of concept for such training in a laboratory environment and review the logistics of delivering similar-quality, yet affordable, training at home. Finally, we review a novel method for demonstrating whether eye movement behavior that has been modified in a video game environment carries over to a natural social engagement.

The effect of guided imagery and amitriptyline on daily fibromyalgia pain: a prospective, randomized, controlled trial