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Combining artificial intelligence (AI) with eye tracking in virtual reality could one day help personalize treatment for millions living with chronic pain, according to world-first research from the University of East Anglia.

Scientists found that tiny changes in pupil size and blinking patterns can reveal how hard the brain is working during virtual reality tasks. The team hopes their work could open the door to wearable systems that automatically adapt therapy in real time.

"VR-FOCUS: evaluating eye tracking during a virtual reality N-back task as a marker of cognitive load in chronic pain" is published in the journal Scientific Reports.

For the millions living with chronic pain, that could represent a significant step toward more personalized, drug-free care.

Lead researcher Dr. Jordan Tsigarides, from UEA's School of Health Sciences, said, "Chronic pain affects an estimated 1.5 billion people worldwide and is one of the leading causes of disability.

"Virtual reality has enormous therapeutic potential—whether that's guiding patients through a peaceful woodland, supporting relaxation exercises or engaging them with games and puzzles that help manage pain.

"It can help reduce chronic pain by immersing users in engaging, interactive environments that capture the brain's attention and draw it away from pain, reduce pain-related stress and anxiety, and may even help retrain how the brain processes pain over time.

"But most virtual reality programs offer the same experience to everyone, even though people's pain and mental effort can fluctuate from moment to moment.

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