Harnessing Extended Reality for Neurocognitive Training in Chronic Pain: State of the Art, Opportunities, and Future Directions.

Abstract

Chronic pain is a significant burden affecting more than 30% of people worldwide. Within the multiple biopsychosocial factors affected in people suffering from chronic pain, neurocognitive impairments represent a significant but often under-recognized aspect of the chronic pain experience that impacts daily life and healthcare. Multiple neurocognitive domains, including attention, executive function, learning, and memory, have been commonly associated with chronic pain. Within novel approaches, extended reality (XR) has been highlighted for its potential in chronic pain management. XR offers unique features to enhance traditional neurocognitive interventions, including dual tasks, gamification, ecological validity, and enriched experience, to increase engagement and motivation in rehabilitation. This systematic-narrative hybrid literature review aims to shed light on the potential benefits, challenges, and future directions of XR technology to address neurocognitive impairments associated with chronic pain. While preliminary evidence suggests that XR-based neurocognitive training may be beneficial in overcoming neurocognitive impairments found in chronic pain, some challenges still need to be addressed for effective translation into clinical practice. Within a transdiagnostic approach, XR-based neurocognitive training appears to be valuable across different diagnoses in chronic pain, wherein XR may emerge as a promising first-line intervention toward personalized multimodal management for chronic pain. Despite the rapid development of substantial growing evidence for XR, enhanced methodological rigor and reporting quality are recommended in future studies. More research is needed to fully understand the mechanisms and optimal application of XR-based neurocognitive training in different chronic pain conditions.