

de Recherche et d’Innovation
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Guingo, E.; Debeurme, M. H.; Santos, R. P.; Addab, S.; Rainville, P.; Bouchard, S.; Chougui, K.; Tsimicalis, A.; Nault, M. -L.; Ducruet, T.; Ledjiar, O.; Noel, M.; St-Arneault, K.; Cotes-Turpin, C.; Hung, N.; Ouimet, P.; Parent, S.; Gardner, J.; Bernstein, M.; May, S. Le
Efficacy of Virtual Reality vs. Tablet Games for Pain and Anxiety in Children Undergoing Bone Pins Removal: Randomised Clinical Trial Journal Article
In: Journal of Advanced Nursing, vol. 82, no. 2, pp. 1791–1802, 2026, ISSN: 03092402 (ISSN).
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Adolescent, analgesia, Anxiety, Bone Nails, Child, Children, clinical trial, comparative study, controlled study, female, human, Humans, intramedullary nailing, male, multicenter study, Pain Management, procedural pain, procedures, randomized controlled trial, Therapy, video game, Video Games, virtual reality
@article{guingo_efficacy_2026,
title = {Efficacy of Virtual Reality vs. Tablet Games for Pain and Anxiety in Children Undergoing Bone Pins Removal: Randomised Clinical Trial},
author = {E. Guingo and M. H. Debeurme and R. P. Santos and S. Addab and P. Rainville and S. Bouchard and K. Chougui and A. Tsimicalis and M. -L. Nault and T. Ducruet and O. Ledjiar and M. Noel and K. St-Arneault and C. Cotes-Turpin and N. Hung and P. Ouimet and S. Parent and J. Gardner and M. Bernstein and S. Le May},
url = {https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-105004216228&doi=10.1111%2Fjan.16991&partnerID=40&md5=9200a82b5c9572abcc5170e9c9d6142b},
doi = {10.1111/jan.16991},
issn = {03092402 (ISSN)},
year = {2026},
date = {2026-01-01},
journal = {Journal of Advanced Nursing},
volume = {82},
number = {2},
pages = {1791–1802},
abstract = {Aims: To verify the efficacy of virtual reality compared to tablet games for pain and anxiety management in children undergoing percutaneous bone pin and/or suture removal procedures. Design: Randomised clinical trial using two parallel groups: (1) virtual reality or (2) tablet game. Methods: Three-center, randomised pragmatic clinical trial, using a parallel design with two groups (experimental group: immersive virtual reality; active comparator: tablet games). Children aged 6–17 requiring percutaneous pins and/or sutures were recruited between 2020 and 2022 from three outpatient orthopaedic clinics in paediatric hospitals. Pain was measured with the Numerical Rating Scale and anxiety with the Child Fear Scale before and immediately after the procedure. Results: A total of 188 participants were assigned to either the virtual reality group (96 participants) or the tablet group (92 participants). At the first assessment, there was no noticeable difference between the two groups in terms of pain or anxiety levels. However, further analysis revealed that participants aged 13 and older in the virtual reality group experienced significantly lower anxiety. Conclusion: Virtual reality was not more efficacious than games on a tablet for pain and anxiety of children undergoing removal of bone pins or sutures. However, virtual reality demonstrated a benefit in reducing anxiety for teenagers, particularly those aged 13-older. Implication for the Professional and/or Patient Care: Virtual reality games provide an immersive, non-pharmacological alternative of for anxiety management of teenagers during pins and/or sutures removal. Impact: This study showed that a virtual reality game may help reduce anxiety during pins and/or sutures removal procedures in patients aged 13 years and older. Reporting Method: We adhered to the CONSORT checklist for reporting results. Patient or Public Contribution: A patient partner reviewed the study design, methods and final manuscript. Trial Registration: NCT03680625. © 2025 The Author(s). Journal of Advanced Nursing published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.},
keywords = {Adolescent, analgesia, Anxiety, Bone Nails, Child, Children, clinical trial, comparative study, controlled study, female, human, Humans, intramedullary nailing, male, multicenter study, Pain Management, procedural pain, procedures, randomized controlled trial, Therapy, video game, Video Games, virtual reality},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Delangle, M.; Moïse-Richard, A.; Leclercq, A. -L.; Labbé, D.; Bouchard, S.; Andrews, S.; Ménard, L.
Speaking face-to-face with a virtual avatar to reduce anxiety in students who stutter: Tool development and pilot study results Journal Article
In: Journal of Fluency Disorders, vol. 87, 2026, ISSN: 0094730X (ISSN).
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Adolescent, adult, Anxiety, Arousal, article, Avatar, avoidance behavior, Canada, Child, clinical article, cognitive behavioral therapy, complication, controlled study, distance learning, ecological validity, electrocardiogram, electrodermal response, exposure, female, Heart Rate, heart rate variability, human, Humans, Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale, Likert scale, male, nonverbal communication, physiological stress, Pilot Projects, pilot study, procedures, psychology, questionnaire, randomized controlled trial, role playing, School-age children, Self Concept, Self Efficacy, self report, Signal processing, skin conductance, social anxiety, speech, student, Students, Stuttering, Therapy, treatment outcome, virtual reality, virtual reality exposure therapy
@article{delangle_speaking_2026,
title = {Speaking face-to-face with a virtual avatar to reduce anxiety in students who stutter: Tool development and pilot study results},
author = {M. Delangle and A. Moïse-Richard and A. -L. Leclercq and D. Labbé and S. Bouchard and S. Andrews and L. Ménard},
url = {https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-105028302364&doi=10.1016%2Fj.jfludis.2026.106194&partnerID=40&md5=af0d246f9187ee19796f36456887400b},
doi = {10.1016/j.jfludis.2026.106194},
issn = {0094730X (ISSN)},
year = {2026},
date = {2026-01-01},
journal = {Journal of Fluency Disorders},
volume = {87},
abstract = {Purpose Speaking in class is challenging for students who stutter. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) with exposure in virtual reality (VR) emerges as a promising intervention for treating speaking anxiety in pediatric populations. This pilot study tested if real-time avatar-based VR can elicit anxiety responses while remaining acceptable to youth who stutter. Method Twelve students who stutter (aged 9–18) were randomly assigned to a single training session conducted either (1) in VR with a realistic avatar controlled live by their SLP, or (2) in role-play with their SLP, before facing a real actor. We assessed system acceptability, anxiety levels and perceived self-efficacy. Results The VR system was well accepted and elicited physiological arousal comparable to real-life interactions. Although participants reported experiencing less anxiety during VR, skin conductance level showed higher arousal; suggesting a divergence between the subjective report and physiological response. Finally, one training session (either in VR or with the SLP) did not produce gains in self-efficacy or decrease in anxiety related to the final real-actor conversation. Conclusion This study demonstrates evidence that the potential use of immersive VR could represent an acceptable and viable complementary strategy for SLP treatment, that could control exposure parameters while evoking physiological responses similar to real-life contexts. The differences between subjective and physiological measures suggest that VR is inducing anxiety responses differently than it was perceived. Further research could investigate the use of VR as anxiety interventions for students who stutter and should be explored across multi-session studies to understand their therapeutic effect. © 2026 The Authors.},
keywords = {Adolescent, adult, Anxiety, Arousal, article, Avatar, avoidance behavior, Canada, Child, clinical article, cognitive behavioral therapy, complication, controlled study, distance learning, ecological validity, electrocardiogram, electrodermal response, exposure, female, Heart Rate, heart rate variability, human, Humans, Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale, Likert scale, male, nonverbal communication, physiological stress, Pilot Projects, pilot study, procedures, psychology, questionnaire, randomized controlled trial, role playing, School-age children, Self Concept, Self Efficacy, self report, Signal processing, skin conductance, social anxiety, speech, student, Students, Stuttering, Therapy, treatment outcome, virtual reality, virtual reality exposure therapy},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Guingo, E.; Debeurme, M. H.; Santos, R. P.; Addab, S.; Rainville, P.; Bouchard, S.; Chougui, K.; Tsimicalis, A.; Nault, M. -L.; Ducruet, T.; Ledjiar, O.; Noel, M.; St-Arneault, K.; Cotes-Turpin, C.; Hung, N.; Ouimet, P.; Parent, S.; Gardner, J.; Bernstein, M.; May, S. Le
Efficacy of Virtual Reality vs. Tablet Games for Pain and Anxiety in Children Undergoing Bone Pins Removal: Randomised Clinical Trial Journal Article
In: Journal of Advanced Nursing, vol. 82, no. 2, pp. 1791–1802, 2026, ISSN: 03092402 (ISSN).
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Adolescent, analgesia, Anxiety, Bone Nails, Child, Children, clinical trial, comparative study, controlled study, female, human, Humans, intramedullary nailing, male, multicenter study, Pain Management, procedural pain, procedures, randomized controlled trial, Therapy, video game, Video Games, virtual reality
@article{guingoEfficacyVirtualReality2026,
title = {Efficacy of Virtual Reality vs. Tablet Games for Pain and Anxiety in Children Undergoing Bone Pins Removal: Randomised Clinical Trial},
author = {E. Guingo and M. H. Debeurme and R. P. Santos and S. Addab and P. Rainville and S. Bouchard and K. Chougui and A. Tsimicalis and M. -L. Nault and T. Ducruet and O. Ledjiar and M. Noel and K. St-Arneault and C. Cotes-Turpin and N. Hung and P. Ouimet and S. Parent and J. Gardner and M. Bernstein and S. Le May},
url = {https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105004216228?origin=resultslist},
doi = {10.1111/jan.16991},
issn = {03092402 (ISSN)},
year = {2026},
date = {2026-01-01},
journal = {Journal of Advanced Nursing},
volume = {82},
number = {2},
pages = {1791–1802},
publisher = {John Wiley and Sons Inc},
abstract = {Aims: To verify the efficacy of virtual reality compared to tablet games for pain and anxiety management in children undergoing percutaneous bone pin and/or suture removal procedures. Design: Randomised clinical trial using two parallel groups: (1) virtual reality or (2) tablet game. Methods: Three-center, randomised pragmatic clinical trial, using a parallel design with two groups (experimental group: immersive virtual reality; active comparator: tablet games). Children aged 6–17 requiring percutaneous pins and/or sutures were recruited between 2020 and 2022 from three outpatient orthopaedic clinics in paediatric hospitals. Pain was measured with the Numerical Rating Scale and anxiety with the Child Fear Scale before and immediately after the procedure. Results: A total of 188 participants were assigned to either the virtual reality group (96 participants) or the tablet group (92 participants). At the first assessment, there was no noticeable difference between the two groups in terms of pain or anxiety levels. However, further analysis revealed that participants aged 13 and older in the virtual reality group experienced significantly lower anxiety. Conclusion: Virtual reality was not more efficacious than games on a tablet for pain and anxiety of children undergoing removal of bone pins or sutures. However, virtual reality demonstrated a benefit in reducing anxiety for teenagers, particularly those aged 13-older. Implication for the Professional and/or Patient Care: Virtual reality games provide an immersive, non-pharmacological alternative of for anxiety management of teenagers during pins and/or sutures removal. Impact: This study showed that a virtual reality game may help reduce anxiety during pins and/or sutures removal procedures in patients aged 13 years and older. Reporting Method: We adhered to the CONSORT checklist for reporting results. Patient or Public Contribution: A patient partner reviewed the study design, methods and final manuscript. Trial Registration: NCT03680625. © 2025 The Author(s). Journal of Advanced Nursing published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.},
keywords = {Adolescent, analgesia, Anxiety, Bone Nails, Child, Children, clinical trial, comparative study, controlled study, female, human, Humans, intramedullary nailing, male, multicenter study, Pain Management, procedural pain, procedures, randomized controlled trial, Therapy, video game, Video Games, virtual reality},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Delangle, M.; Moïse-Richard, A.; Leclercq, A. -L.; Labbé, D.; Bouchard, S.; Andrews, S.; Ménard, L.
Speaking face-to-face with a virtual avatar to reduce anxiety in students who stutter: Tool development and pilot study results Journal Article
In: Journal of Fluency Disorders, vol. 87, 2026, ISSN: 0094730X (ISSN).
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Adolescent, adult, Anxiety, Arousal, article, Avatar, avoidance behavior, Canada, Child, clinical article, cognitive behavioral therapy, complication, controlled study, distance learning, ecological validity, electrocardiogram, electrodermal response, exposure, female, Heart Rate, heart rate variability, human, Humans, Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale, Likert scale, male, nonverbal communication, physiological stress, Pilot Projects, pilot study, procedures, psychology, questionnaire, randomized controlled trial, role playing, School-age children, Self Concept, Self Efficacy, self report, Signal processing, skin conductance, social anxiety, speech, student, Students, Stuttering, Therapy, treatment outcome, virtual reality, virtual reality exposure therapy
@article{delangleSpeakingFacetofaceVirtual2026,
title = {Speaking face-to-face with a virtual avatar to reduce anxiety in students who stutter: Tool development and pilot study results},
author = {M. Delangle and A. Moïse-Richard and A. -L. Leclercq and D. Labbé and S. Bouchard and S. Andrews and L. Ménard},
url = {https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105028302364?origin=resultslist},
doi = {10.1016/j.jfludis.2026.106194},
issn = {0094730X (ISSN)},
year = {2026},
date = {2026-01-01},
journal = {Journal of Fluency Disorders},
volume = {87},
publisher = {Elsevier Inc.},
abstract = {Purpose Speaking in class is challenging for students who stutter. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) with exposure in virtual reality (VR) emerges as a promising intervention for treating speaking anxiety in pediatric populations. This pilot study tested if real-time avatar-based VR can elicit anxiety responses while remaining acceptable to youth who stutter. Method Twelve students who stutter (aged 9–18) were randomly assigned to a single training session conducted either (1) in VR with a realistic avatar controlled live by their SLP, or (2) in role-play with their SLP, before facing a real actor. We assessed system acceptability, anxiety levels and perceived self-efficacy. Results The VR system was well accepted and elicited physiological arousal comparable to real-life interactions. Although participants reported experiencing less anxiety during VR, skin conductance level showed higher arousal; suggesting a divergence between the subjective report and physiological response. Finally, one training session (either in VR or with the SLP) did not produce gains in self-efficacy or decrease in anxiety related to the final real-actor conversation. Conclusion This study demonstrates evidence that the potential use of immersive VR could represent an acceptable and viable complementary strategy for SLP treatment, that could control exposure parameters while evoking physiological responses similar to real-life contexts. The differences between subjective and physiological measures suggest that VR is inducing anxiety responses differently than it was perceived. Further research could investigate the use of VR as anxiety interventions for students who stutter and should be explored across multi-session studies to understand their therapeutic effect. © 2026 The Authors.},
keywords = {Adolescent, adult, Anxiety, Arousal, article, Avatar, avoidance behavior, Canada, Child, clinical article, cognitive behavioral therapy, complication, controlled study, distance learning, ecological validity, electrocardiogram, electrodermal response, exposure, female, Heart Rate, heart rate variability, human, Humans, Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale, Likert scale, male, nonverbal communication, physiological stress, Pilot Projects, pilot study, procedures, psychology, questionnaire, randomized controlled trial, role playing, School-age children, Self Concept, Self Efficacy, self report, Signal processing, skin conductance, social anxiety, speech, student, Students, Stuttering, Therapy, treatment outcome, virtual reality, virtual reality exposure therapy},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Delangle, M.; Moïse-Richard, A.; Leclercq, A. -L.; Labbé, D.; Bouchard, S.; Andrews, S.; Ménard, L.
Speaking face-to-face with a virtual avatar to reduce anxiety in students who stutter: Tool development and pilot study results Journal Article
In: Journal of Fluency Disorders, vol. 87, 2026, ISSN: 0094730X (ISSN).
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Adolescent, adult, Anxiety, Arousal, article, Avatar, avoidance behavior, Canada, Child, clinical article, cognitive behavioral therapy, complication, controlled study, distance learning, ecological validity, electrocardiogram, electrodermal response, exposure, female, Heart Rate, heart rate variability, human, Humans, Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale, Likert scale, male, nonverbal communication, physiological stress, Pilot Projects, pilot study, procedures, psychology, questionnaire, randomized controlled trial, role playing, School-age children, Self Concept, Self Efficacy, self report, Signal processing, skin conductance, social anxiety, speech, student, Students, Stuttering, Therapy, treatment outcome, virtual reality, virtual reality exposure therapy
@article{delangleSpeakingFacetofaceVirtual2026a,
title = {Speaking face-to-face with a virtual avatar to reduce anxiety in students who stutter: Tool development and pilot study results},
author = {M. Delangle and A. Moïse-Richard and A. -L. Leclercq and D. Labbé and S. Bouchard and S. Andrews and L. Ménard},
url = {https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-105028302364&doi=10.1016%2Fj.jfludis.2026.106194&partnerID=40&md5=af0d246f9187ee19796f36456887400b},
doi = {10.1016/j.jfludis.2026.106194},
issn = {0094730X (ISSN)},
year = {2026},
date = {2026-01-01},
journal = {Journal of Fluency Disorders},
volume = {87},
abstract = {Purpose Speaking in class is challenging for students who stutter. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) with exposure in virtual reality (VR) emerges as a promising intervention for treating speaking anxiety in pediatric populations. This pilot study tested if real-time avatar-based VR can elicit anxiety responses while remaining acceptable to youth who stutter. Method Twelve students who stutter (aged 9–18) were randomly assigned to a single training session conducted either (1) in VR with a realistic avatar controlled live by their SLP, or (2) in role-play with their SLP, before facing a real actor. We assessed system acceptability, anxiety levels and perceived self-efficacy. Results The VR system was well accepted and elicited physiological arousal comparable to real-life interactions. Although participants reported experiencing less anxiety during VR, skin conductance level showed higher arousal; suggesting a divergence between the subjective report and physiological response. Finally, one training session (either in VR or with the SLP) did not produce gains in self-efficacy or decrease in anxiety related to the final real-actor conversation. Conclusion This study demonstrates evidence that the potential use of immersive VR could represent an acceptable and viable complementary strategy for SLP treatment, that could control exposure parameters while evoking physiological responses similar to real-life contexts. The differences between subjective and physiological measures suggest that VR is inducing anxiety responses differently than it was perceived. Further research could investigate the use of VR as anxiety interventions for students who stutter and should be explored across multi-session studies to understand their therapeutic effect. © 2026 The Authors.},
keywords = {Adolescent, adult, Anxiety, Arousal, article, Avatar, avoidance behavior, Canada, Child, clinical article, cognitive behavioral therapy, complication, controlled study, distance learning, ecological validity, electrocardiogram, electrodermal response, exposure, female, Heart Rate, heart rate variability, human, Humans, Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale, Likert scale, male, nonverbal communication, physiological stress, Pilot Projects, pilot study, procedures, psychology, questionnaire, randomized controlled trial, role playing, School-age children, Self Concept, Self Efficacy, self report, Signal processing, skin conductance, social anxiety, speech, student, Students, Stuttering, Therapy, treatment outcome, virtual reality, virtual reality exposure therapy},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Guingo, E.; Debeurme, M. H.; Santos, R. P.; Addab, S.; Rainville, P.; Bouchard, S.; Chougui, K.; Tsimicalis, A.; Nault, M. -L.; Ducruet, T.; Ledjiar, O.; Noel, M.; St-Arneault, K.; Cotes-Turpin, C.; Hung, N.; Ouimet, P.; Parent, S.; Gardner, J.; Bernstein, M.; May, S. Le
Efficacy of Virtual Reality vs. Tablet Games for Pain and Anxiety in Children Undergoing Bone Pins Removal: Randomised Clinical Trial Journal Article
In: Journal of Advanced Nursing, vol. 82, no. 2, pp. 1791–1802, 2026, ISSN: 03092402 (ISSN).
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Adolescent, analgesia, Anxiety, Bone Nails, Child, Children, clinical trial, comparative study, controlled study, female, human, Humans, intramedullary nailing, male, multicenter study, Pain Management, procedural pain, procedures, randomized controlled trial, Therapy, video game, Video Games, virtual reality
@article{guingoEfficacyVirtualReality2026a,
title = {Efficacy of Virtual Reality vs. Tablet Games for Pain and Anxiety in Children Undergoing Bone Pins Removal: Randomised Clinical Trial},
author = {E. Guingo and M. H. Debeurme and R. P. Santos and S. Addab and P. Rainville and S. Bouchard and K. Chougui and A. Tsimicalis and M. -L. Nault and T. Ducruet and O. Ledjiar and M. Noel and K. St-Arneault and C. Cotes-Turpin and N. Hung and P. Ouimet and S. Parent and J. Gardner and M. Bernstein and S. Le May},
url = {https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-105004216228&doi=10.1111%2Fjan.16991&partnerID=40&md5=9200a82b5c9572abcc5170e9c9d6142b},
doi = {10.1111/jan.16991},
issn = {03092402 (ISSN)},
year = {2026},
date = {2026-01-01},
journal = {Journal of Advanced Nursing},
volume = {82},
number = {2},
pages = {1791–1802},
abstract = {Aims: To verify the efficacy of virtual reality compared to tablet games for pain and anxiety management in children undergoing percutaneous bone pin and/or suture removal procedures. Design: Randomised clinical trial using two parallel groups: (1) virtual reality or (2) tablet game. Methods: Three-center, randomised pragmatic clinical trial, using a parallel design with two groups (experimental group: immersive virtual reality; active comparator: tablet games). Children aged 6–17 requiring percutaneous pins and/or sutures were recruited between 2020 and 2022 from three outpatient orthopaedic clinics in paediatric hospitals. Pain was measured with the Numerical Rating Scale and anxiety with the Child Fear Scale before and immediately after the procedure. Results: A total of 188 participants were assigned to either the virtual reality group (96 participants) or the tablet group (92 participants). At the first assessment, there was no noticeable difference between the two groups in terms of pain or anxiety levels. However, further analysis revealed that participants aged 13 and older in the virtual reality group experienced significantly lower anxiety. Conclusion: Virtual reality was not more efficacious than games on a tablet for pain and anxiety of children undergoing removal of bone pins or sutures. However, virtual reality demonstrated a benefit in reducing anxiety for teenagers, particularly those aged 13-older. Implication for the Professional and/or Patient Care: Virtual reality games provide an immersive, non-pharmacological alternative of for anxiety management of teenagers during pins and/or sutures removal. Impact: This study showed that a virtual reality game may help reduce anxiety during pins and/or sutures removal procedures in patients aged 13 years and older. Reporting Method: We adhered to the CONSORT checklist for reporting results. Patient or Public Contribution: A patient partner reviewed the study design, methods and final manuscript. Trial Registration: NCT03680625. © 2025 The Author(s). Journal of Advanced Nursing published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.},
keywords = {Adolescent, analgesia, Anxiety, Bone Nails, Child, Children, clinical trial, comparative study, controlled study, female, human, Humans, intramedullary nailing, male, multicenter study, Pain Management, procedural pain, procedures, randomized controlled trial, Therapy, video game, Video Games, virtual reality},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Onita, C. A.; Matei, D. -V.; Trandafir, L. -M.; Petrescu-Miron, D.; Corciova, C.; Fuior, R.; Manole, L. -M.; Mihai, B. -M.; Dascalu, C. -G.; Tarcea, M.; Bouchard, S.; Mocanu, V.
In: Nutrients, vol. 17, no. 15, 2025, ISSN: 20726643 (ISSN).
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Adolescent, adolescent obesity, alpha amylase saliva isoenzyme, alpha-Amylases, amylase, anthropometry, anxiety assessment, appetite, article, Autonomic Nervous System, autonomic nervous system function, chemistry, Child, childhood obesity, clinical article, controlled study, craving, eating behavior, Electrophysiology, emotional eating, emotional stress, exploratory factor analysis, Factor Analysis, feeding behavior, female, Heart Rate, heart rate variability, human, Humans, Hydrocortisone, hypothalamus hypophysis adrenal system, immersive VR game, male, mental stress, metabolism, neuroendocrine system, Neurosecretory Systems, pathophysiology, Pediatric Obesity, physiology, Psychological, psychology, Saliva, salivary alpha-amylase, salivary cortisol, social stress, Statistical, Stress, stress assessment, subjective stress, three-factor eating questionnaire (TFEQ), Three-Factor-Eating-Questionnaire, video game, Video Games, virtual reality, virtual reality exposure therapy, visual analog scale
@article{onita_autonomic_2025,
title = {Autonomic and Neuroendocrine Reactivity to VR Game Exposure in Children and Adolescents with Obesity: A Factor Analytic Approach to Physiological Reactivity and Eating Behavior},
author = {C. A. Onita and D. -V. Matei and L. -M. Trandafir and D. Petrescu-Miron and C. Corciova and R. Fuior and L. -M. Manole and B. -M. Mihai and C. -G. Dascalu and M. Tarcea and S. Bouchard and V. Mocanu},
url = {https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-105013574948&doi=10.3390%2Fnu17152492&partnerID=40&md5=d1e974dae00d424b9f6fae86b8a7cc6a},
doi = {10.3390/nu17152492},
issn = {20726643 (ISSN)},
year = {2025},
date = {2025-01-01},
journal = {Nutrients},
volume = {17},
number = {15},
abstract = {Background/Objectives: The aim was to identify patterns of autonomic and neuroendocrine reactivity to an immersive virtual reality (VR) social-emotional stressor and explore their associations with perceived stress and eating behavior. Methods: This one-group pretest–posttest study included 30 children and adolescents with obesity (15 boys and 15 girls), aged 8 to 17 years. The VR protocol consisted of two consecutive phases: a 5 min relaxation phase using the Forest application and a 5 min stimulation phase using a cognitively engaging VR game designed to elicit social-emotional stress. Physiological responses were measured using heart rate variability (HRV) indices and salivary stress biomarkers, including cortisol and alpha amylase. Subjective stress and eating responses were assessed via visual analogue scales (VAS) administered immediately post-exposure. The Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire (TFEQ-R21C) was used to evaluate cognitive restraint (CR), uncontrolled eating (UE), and emotional eating (EE). Results: The cortisol reactivity was blunted and may reflect both the attenuated HPA axis responsiveness characteristic of pediatric obesity and the moderate psychological challenge of the VR stressor used in this study. Two distinct autonomic response patterns were identified via exploratory factor analysis: (1) parasympathetic reactivity, associated with increased RMSSD and SDNN and decreased LF/HF, and (2) sympathetic activation, associated with increased heart rate and alpha-amylase levels and reduced RR intervals. Parasympathetic reactivity was correlated with lower perceived stress and anxiety, but also paradoxically with higher uncontrolled eating (UE). In contrast, sympathetic activation was associated with greater cognitive restraint (CR) and higher anxiety ratings. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that immersive VR game exposure elicits measurable autonomic and subjective stress responses in children and adolescents with obesity, and that individual differences in physiological reactivity are relevantly associated with eating behavior traits. The findings suggest that parasympathetic and sympathetic profiles may represent distinct behavioral patterns with implications for targeted intervention. © 2025 by the authors.},
keywords = {Adolescent, adolescent obesity, alpha amylase saliva isoenzyme, alpha-Amylases, amylase, anthropometry, anxiety assessment, appetite, article, Autonomic Nervous System, autonomic nervous system function, chemistry, Child, childhood obesity, clinical article, controlled study, craving, eating behavior, Electrophysiology, emotional eating, emotional stress, exploratory factor analysis, Factor Analysis, feeding behavior, female, Heart Rate, heart rate variability, human, Humans, Hydrocortisone, hypothalamus hypophysis adrenal system, immersive VR game, male, mental stress, metabolism, neuroendocrine system, Neurosecretory Systems, pathophysiology, Pediatric Obesity, physiology, Psychological, psychology, Saliva, salivary alpha-amylase, salivary cortisol, social stress, Statistical, Stress, stress assessment, subjective stress, three-factor eating questionnaire (TFEQ), Three-Factor-Eating-Questionnaire, video game, Video Games, virtual reality, virtual reality exposure therapy, visual analog scale},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Bérubé, A.; Pétrin, R.; Boudreault, M.; Marcotte-Beaumier, G.; Blais, C.
Childhood maltreatment influences parental mimicry of children's emotional facial expressions Journal Article
In: Child Abuse and Neglect, vol. 170, 2025, ISSN: 01452134 (ISSN).
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Adolescent, adult, Adult Survivors of Child Abuse, anger, article, Child, Child Abuse, child abuse survivor, child parent relation, childhood maltreatment, Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, controlled study, Diagnosis, disgust, emotion, Emotional facial expressions, emotional neglect, Emotions, Facial Expression, female, human, Humans, major clinical study, male, Mimicry, neglect, parent, Parent-Child Relations, Parenting, Parents, path analysis, physical abuse, psychological functioning, psychology, questionnaire, sadness, sexual abuse, social bonding, Surveys and Questionnaires, Young Adult
@article{berube_childhood_2025,
title = {Childhood maltreatment influences parental mimicry of children's emotional facial expressions},
author = {A. Bérubé and R. Pétrin and M. Boudreault and G. Marcotte-Beaumier and C. Blais},
url = {https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-105020986193&doi=10.1016%2Fj.chiabu.2025.107787&partnerID=40&md5=18593b82f701fc76ad054419d48dfc69},
doi = {10.1016/j.chiabu.2025.107787},
issn = {01452134 (ISSN)},
year = {2025},
date = {2025-01-01},
journal = {Child Abuse and Neglect},
volume = {170},
abstract = {Background: Childhood maltreatment can disrupt socio-emotional functioning, potentially influencing how parents respond to children's emotional facial expressions. Mimicry, an automatic reaction to others' facial expressions, is a critical mechanism for social bonding and affiliation in parent-child relationships. However, the effects of childhood maltreatment on parental mimicry remain underexplored. Objective: This study examined the relationship between different forms of childhood maltreatment and parents' mimicry of children's emotional facial expressions. Participants and setting: Fifty-seven parents participated in an emotion recognition task conducted either at a local community organization or at the university laboratory. Methods: Parents' facial reactions were recorded and analyzed using FaceReader software to detect mimicry. The Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) assessed parental history of maltreatment. A path analysis model was conducted to evaluate the associations between forms of childhood maltreatment and parental mimicry. Results: A history of physical abuse predicted increased expressions of anger, while physical neglect was linked to reduced anger but heightened disgust. Emotional and sexual abuse were associated with diminished mimicry of sadness, whereas emotional neglect predicted enhanced sadness mimicry. Conclusions: Findings suggest that childhood maltreatment alters parents' facial reactions to children's emotional facial expressions, potentially impacting parental sensitivity. © 2025},
keywords = {Adolescent, adult, Adult Survivors of Child Abuse, anger, article, Child, Child Abuse, child abuse survivor, child parent relation, childhood maltreatment, Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, controlled study, Diagnosis, disgust, emotion, Emotional facial expressions, emotional neglect, Emotions, Facial Expression, female, human, Humans, major clinical study, male, Mimicry, neglect, parent, Parent-Child Relations, Parenting, Parents, path analysis, physical abuse, psychological functioning, psychology, questionnaire, sadness, sexual abuse, social bonding, Surveys and Questionnaires, Young Adult},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Bérubé, A.; Pearson, J.; Blais, C.; Forget, H.
In: Development and Psychopathology, vol. 37, no. 1, pp. 281–291, 2025, ISSN: 09545794 (ISSN), (Publisher: Cambridge University Press).
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: adult, Adult Survivors of Child Abuse, chemistry, Child, Child Abuse, child abuse survivor, child parent relation, childhood maltreatment, emotion, Emotion Recognition, Emotions, Facial Expression, female, human, Humans, Hydrocortisone, male, mental stress, metabolism, mother, mother child relation, Mother-Child Relations, Mothers, Parenting, physiology, Preschool, preschool child, Psychological, psychology, Saliva, sensitivity, Stress, stress reactivity
@article{berube_stress_2025,
title = {Stress and emotion recognition predict the relationship between a history of maltreatment and sensitive parenting behaviors: A moderated-moderation},
author = {A. Bérubé and J. Pearson and C. Blais and H. Forget},
url = {https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85182715913&doi=10.1017%2fS095457942300158X&partnerID=40&md5=b3a9056662cf94740131bfd6fbe7352e},
doi = {10.1017/S095457942300158X},
issn = {09545794 (ISSN)},
year = {2025},
date = {2025-01-01},
journal = {Development and Psychopathology},
volume = {37},
number = {1},
pages = {281–291},
publisher = {Cambridge University Press},
abstract = {Our study proposes to examine how stress and emotion recognition interact with a history of maltreatment to influence sensitive parenting behaviors. A sample of 58 mothers and their children aged between 2 and 5 years old were recruited. Parents' history of maltreatment was measured using the Child Trauma Questionnaire. An emotion recognition task was performed. Mothers identified the dominant emotion in morphed facial emotion expressions in children. Mothers and children interacted for 15 minutes. Salivary cortisol levels of mothers were collected before and after the interaction. Maternal sensitive behaviors were coded during the interaction using the Coding Interactive Behavior scheme. Results indicate that the severity of childhood maltreatment is related to less sensitive behaviors for mothers with average to good abilities in emotion recognition and lower to average increases in cortisol levels following an interaction with their children. For mothers with higher cortisol levels, there is no association between a history of maltreatment and sensitive behaviors, indicating that higher stress reactivity could act as a protective factor. Our study highlights the complex interaction between individual characteristics and environmental factors when it comes to parenting. These results argue for targeted interventions that address personal trauma. © 2024 The Author(s).},
note = {Publisher: Cambridge University Press},
keywords = {adult, Adult Survivors of Child Abuse, chemistry, Child, Child Abuse, child abuse survivor, child parent relation, childhood maltreatment, emotion, Emotion Recognition, Emotions, Facial Expression, female, human, Humans, Hydrocortisone, male, mental stress, metabolism, mother, mother child relation, Mother-Child Relations, Mothers, Parenting, physiology, Preschool, preschool child, Psychological, psychology, Saliva, sensitivity, Stress, stress reactivity},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Bérubé, A.; Pétrin, R.; Boudreault, M.; Marcotte-Beaumier, G.; Blais, C.
Childhood maltreatment influences parental mimicry of children's emotional facial expressions Journal Article
In: Child Abuse and Neglect, vol. 170, 2025, ISSN: 01452134 (ISSN).
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Adolescent, adult, Adult Survivors of Child Abuse, anger, article, Child, Child Abuse, child abuse survivor, child parent relation, childhood maltreatment, Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, controlled study, Diagnosis, disgust, emotion, Emotional facial expressions, emotional neglect, Emotions, Facial Expression, female, human, Humans, major clinical study, male, Mimicry, neglect, parent, Parent-Child Relations, Parenting, Parents, path analysis, physical abuse, psychological functioning, psychology, questionnaire, sadness, sexual abuse, social bonding, Surveys and Questionnaires, Young Adult
@article{berubeChildhoodMaltreatmentInfluences2025,
title = {Childhood maltreatment influences parental mimicry of children's emotional facial expressions},
author = {A. Bérubé and R. Pétrin and M. Boudreault and G. Marcotte-Beaumier and C. Blais},
url = {https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105020986193?origin=resultslist},
doi = {10.1016/j.chiabu.2025.107787},
issn = {01452134 (ISSN)},
year = {2025},
date = {2025-01-01},
journal = {Child Abuse and Neglect},
volume = {170},
publisher = {Elsevier Ltd},
abstract = {Background: Childhood maltreatment can disrupt socio-emotional functioning, potentially influencing how parents respond to children's emotional facial expressions. Mimicry, an automatic reaction to others' facial expressions, is a critical mechanism for social bonding and affiliation in parent-child relationships. However, the effects of childhood maltreatment on parental mimicry remain underexplored. Objective: This study examined the relationship between different forms of childhood maltreatment and parents' mimicry of children's emotional facial expressions. Participants and setting: Fifty-seven parents participated in an emotion recognition task conducted either at a local community organization or at the university laboratory. Methods: Parents' facial reactions were recorded and analyzed using FaceReader software to detect mimicry. The Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) assessed parental history of maltreatment. A path analysis model was conducted to evaluate the associations between forms of childhood maltreatment and parental mimicry. Results: A history of physical abuse predicted increased expressions of anger, while physical neglect was linked to reduced anger but heightened disgust. Emotional and sexual abuse were associated with diminished mimicry of sadness, whereas emotional neglect predicted enhanced sadness mimicry. Conclusions: Findings suggest that childhood maltreatment alters parents' facial reactions to children's emotional facial expressions, potentially impacting parental sensitivity. © 2025},
keywords = {Adolescent, adult, Adult Survivors of Child Abuse, anger, article, Child, Child Abuse, child abuse survivor, child parent relation, childhood maltreatment, Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, controlled study, Diagnosis, disgust, emotion, Emotional facial expressions, emotional neglect, Emotions, Facial Expression, female, human, Humans, major clinical study, male, Mimicry, neglect, parent, Parent-Child Relations, Parenting, Parents, path analysis, physical abuse, psychological functioning, psychology, questionnaire, sadness, sexual abuse, social bonding, Surveys and Questionnaires, Young Adult},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}



