Digital health
January 1, 2024
Alissa Wieczorek, Florian Schrank, Karl-Heinz Renner et al.
19 citations
A systematic review examined virtual-reality-based mindfulness interventions and their effects on psychological and physiological health. Psychological benefits included improved anxiety, mindfulness, emotions, stress, and sleep-related arousal. Physiological effects involved changes in heart rate, heart rate variability, pain, blood pressure, cortisol, and galvanic skin resistance. Most studies were single sessions lasting 5 or 10 minutes, often in nature-based virtual environments. Attention regulation was identified as a primary mechanism. More research has been conducted in the last six years, especially by North American and South Korean authors. The review calls for more rigorous, true-experimental studies and longer interventions to assess long-term effects.
Stress and health : journal of the International Society for the Investigation of Stress
June 1, 2025
Esther N Moszeik, Nicolas Rohleder, Karl-Heinz Renner
10 citations
A randomized controlled trial tested two durations of Yoga Nidra meditation (11 minutes and 30 minutes) against an active control (10 minutes of music) and a waitlist control, with 362 participants practicing daily online for two months. The 11-minute Yoga Nidra group showed small but significant improvements in psychological well-being compared to the waitlist, including reduced depression compared to the active control. Regular practice was linked to lower total cortisol and steeper daily cortisol declines. The 30-minute form increased acting with awareness more than the short form and produced a flatter cortisol wake-up reaction. The findings suggest even brief, low-cost interventions can yield health-promoting effects.
Sensors (Basel, Switzerland)
October 31, 2024
Daniel Anheuer, Brid Karacan, Lara Herzog et al.
Odors may enhance the sense of presence and immersion in virtual reality (VR) stress training for emergency personnel, potentially serving as stressors that modulate perceived psychophysiological stress. A portable fragrance dosing system using piezoelectric stainless steel micropumps was developed and validated, capable of delivering reproducible small quantities of an air-fragrance mixture close to the human nose for personalized odor presentation in VR. Validation results indicate the micropump releases odors with constant amounts. The theoretical background and planned experimental design for VR stress training incorporating olfactory technology are described.