An initial investigation into the use of virtual reality (VR) glasses on self-reported pain perception during mammography

Objective: Pain is one of the causes of refraining from mammography. This study aimed to investigate the use of virtual reality (VR) glasses for management of pain during mammography. Methods: Fifty subjects who were referred to the radiology unit for mammography screening were invited to participate in the study. The study was approved by the hospital's ethics committee and participants provided written and oral informed consent. Craniocaudal (CC) and mediolateral oblique (MLO) views of the right breast were first acquired, followed by left CC and MLO mammographic views with the VR glasses on. After the examination, participants completed a questionnaire including a validated visual analog scale (VAS) scoring system to analyze pain scores. Data were analyzed using Spearman's rho and the Kruskal-Wallis test, as well as the Bland-Altman analysis to examine discrepancy. Results: The association of the right breast pain score with the parameters of age, breast density, previous mammography, family history of breast cancer, educational attainment, and employment status was examined using a correlation test. All the parameters showed no significant correlation with the right breast pain score except age (p: 0.016, correlation coefficient:-.340). Apart from that this study demonstrated no significant correlation between the perceived pain experienced during mammography and the utilization of VR technology. Conclusion: The findings indicate an inverse correlation between participant's age and pain perception during mammography examinations. Moreover, the utilization of Virtual Reality (VR) did not demonstrate efficacy in reducing pain perception. (c) 2024 The College of Radiographers. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights are reserved, including those for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies.