Dynamics of Physiological, Biochemical and Psychological Markers during Single Session of Virtual Reality-Based Respiratory Biofeedback Relaxation

Abstract

Psychological stress exposure is associated with long-lasting health effects including memory problems, depression, aches and pains, eating disorders, and alcohol or drug use. Thus, there is a need to develop effective stress management strategies that are easy to learn and practice. Respiratory biofeedback is an evidence-based stress management technique presenting breathing-related information to help subjects learn specific breathing skills for relaxation. It is suggested that the use of biofeedback techniques in conjunction with virtual reality makes biofeedback training an even more effective tool for stress management. The current study aimed to investigate dynamics of distinct stress indicators before, after, as well as during one brief virtual reality-based respiratory biofeedback session. Thirty-nine healthy volunteers participated in the study. Individuals provided their saliva samples and evaluated their mood status, fatigue, and strain level before and after the session. The subjects’ heart and respiratory rate, heart rate variability, and galvanic skin response measures were recorded during the session. The results showed that after single 12 min relaxation session, there was a significant decrease in salivary cortisol concentration, heart and respiratory rate, as well as decrease in skin conductance values. Self-reported strain, fatigue level, and mood status also significantly improved. VR-based respiratory-biofeedback-assisted relaxation sessions might serve as an effective stress management strategy, as even single session had positive effects on subjects’ autonomic nervous system (ANS) and hypothalamicpituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis activity, as well as self-reported fatigue, strain level, and mood status.

A Synthesized Model for Applying Stress Management and Biofeedback Interventions in Research Utilization: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

“…Stress, anxiety, and depression are distinct psychological conditions, but they often coexist and share certain similarities in terms of symptoms and underlying mechanisms. In other words, biofeedback interventions can have similar effects on the autonomic nervous system (ANS) [ 39 , 40 , 18 ] and the adrenal glands in terms of both anxiety and depression due to the interconnectedness of these systems and the physiological responses associated with stress [ 41 , 42 ]. Biofeedback interventions aim to modulate the ANS response by providing real-time feedback on physiological parameters [ 43 , 44 ].…”

Development of a wearable monitor to identify stress levels using internet of things

“…The patient's data is examined after the measured data is safely uploaded to the cloud. Mazgelytė et al [22] looked at the dynamics of various stress indicators before, after, and during a quick session of respiratory biofeedback using virtual reality. In the study, 39 healthy participants took part.…”