Using a multi-sensory virtual world to investigate chronic breathlessness
Prof. Kyle Pattinson & Dr. Sarah Finnegan Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences
Chronic breathlessness is a debilitating condition that profoundly affects quality of life for its sufferers. Affecting 1 in 10 adults, and costing the UK £11 billion per year in healthcare and economic costs, breathlessness is often difficult to treat with many people remaining symptomatic despite maximal medical therapy. For these people, the sensation of breathlessness may not match the physical status of the lungs.
Virtual reality technology is emerging as a powerful tool within healthcare, where researchers can create a “real-world” environment whilst maintaining carefully controlled experimental parameters.
In this project we intend to capitalise on the power of the brain to shape our perception of reality and create an immersive, multi-sensory virtual world. We propose to examine how the brain weights and combines different sensory inputs to create sensations of breathlessness. We will use our findings to discover, design and test new personalised treatments for breathlessness.