Analgesic effects and neural oscillatory mechanisms of music-synchronized virtual reality intervention.

ABSTRACT: Chronic pain affects over 30% of the global population, yet non-pharmacological interventions with clear neurophysiological mechanisms remain limited. While virtual reality (VR) and music therapy independently show promise in pain management, the neural oscillatory underpinnings of rhythm-synchronized audiomotor integration in VR therapy remain poorly understood. This study aimed to investigate whether music-synchronized virtual reality (MSVR) enhances analgesia through distinct neural mechanisms compared to conventional distraction-based VR or non-immersive interventions. 90 healthy adults (45 female, 22 ± 2 years) were randomized to a single session of: (1) MSVR (rhythm-synchronized visuomotor tasks with music), (2) conventional VR (identical tasks with white noise), or (3) non-immersive

SUBMITTER: Yang QH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12482736 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature