Efficacy of Biofeedback-Based Serious Game for Pain Alleviation in Middle-Aged and Older Ovarian Cancer Patients: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Consistent pain affects most middle-aged and older ovarian cancer patients. Non-pharmacological pain interventions, such as serious games, offer a promising approach to alleviating this pain by providing an effective sense of immersion. However, current games on the pain alleviation lack examination of its efficacy in middle-aged and older population and real-time monitoring of immersion level, particular since immersion level is highly associated with pain alleviation effect and adjustable to challenging level of game difficulty. This study developed a serious game with biofeedback-driven dynamic difficulty. Then examined its feasibility and efficacy through a two-arm, single-blinded randomized controlled trial. A total of 52 participants were recruited and randomized into intervention group and control group to receive biofeedback-based dynamic-difficulty serious game or fix-difficulty serious game for 15 mins each, respectively. The primary outcome was the assessment of the pain level, measured using the Visual Analog Scale. The secondary outcomes included pain-related anxiety, immersion level, and user experience.

Sex

Female

Minimum age

45 Years

Inclusion Criteria:

* Meeting the diagnostic standards established by the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) and having a pain severity level between 3 and 6 (classified as mild to moderate) at the time of enrollment,
* Diagnosed with ovarian caner
* Demonstrating clear cognitive and expressive abilities,
* Being aged 45 or older,
* Providing voluntary consent after fully understanding the study's objectives.

Exclusion Criteria:

* Individuals with a history of mental illness or communication disorders,
* Those experiencing vision or cognitive impairments,
* Individuals undergoing pain medication treatment during the intervention period.