Virtual reality (VR) is an effective, safe, and non-pharmacological intervention for reducing anxiety, with strong scientific evidence and no known adverse effects. By providing relaxation and distraction, VR suppresses sympathetic nervous system activity while enhancing parasympathetic activity, thereby promoting a relaxation response.
VR immerses patients in a virtual environment, diverting attention from stressful clinical settings and reducing anxiety, fear, and worry. This psychological effect is accompanied by favorable physiological responses, including reductions in blood pressure (BP), heart rate (HR), and respiratory rate (RR), as well as improvements in peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO₂).
Previous studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of VR in reducing preoperative anxiety across various clinical settings. For example, VR has been shown to decrease anxiety in adult patients undergoing sternotomy, reduce anxiety before maxillofacial surgery, and provide anxiety relief comparable to progressive muscle relaxation during arthroscopic knee surgery. These findings support the use of VR as an accessible and cost-effective intervention for anxiety management.
In recent years, artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a valuable tool for analyzing complex clinical data and identifying patterns that may not be detected using conventional statistical methods. AI-supported analyses can integrate physiological measurements with patient-reported outcomes to provide a more comprehensive evaluation of intervention effectiveness.
Despite growing evidence supporting VR interventions, no previous study has evaluated the effectiveness of VR in patients undergoing coronary angiography using both conventional outcome measures and AI-supported analytical approaches. Therefore, this randomized controlled study aims to investigate the effects of a VR intervention on state anxiety and vital signs in patients undergoing coronary angiography while applying AI-supported analyses to improve the evaluation of intervention effectiveness.