Virtual Reality (VR) to Improve Quality of Life in Patients Diagnosed With Neurological Disorders

NYU Langone Health

Status: Completed

Conditions: Multiple Sclerosis; Neurological Disorder; Chronic Pain

Treatments: Device: HTC Vive Virtual Reality (VR) system

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT03606668

18-00151

Details and patient eligibility

About

Participants with neurological disorders will be recruited to complete sessions of virtual reality (VR) immersion. VR has been shown to have therapeutic benefit in certain patient populations and requires further clinical study to determine the extent to which VR can be used to rehabilitate and reduce symptom burden. This study seeks to pilot newly developed VR methods and collect preliminary data in order to support research grants and inform larger clinical trials. Additionally, this proposed study will explore the tolerability and preliminary efficacy of Virtual Reality (VR), specifically to determine whether VR can acutely reduce the severity of symptom burden caused by neurological disorders.

Enrollment: 20 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 79 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• 18-79 years of age
• Has been diagnosed by a clinician as having MS
• Able to commit to the designated period of testing
• Able to understand the informed consent process and provide consent to participate in the study
• Capacity to complete study procedures as determined by screening personnel
• A Brief Pain Inventory interference score of at least 3 or more.
• SDMT Z-Score > -3.0
• WRAT4 Standard Score > or = 85

Exclusion criteria

• Visual, auditory, and motor deficits that would prevent full ability to understand study
• Visual, auditory, and motor deficits that would prevent full ability to operate VR equipment
• Uncontrolled epilepsy
• Current diagnosis of vertigo
• Uncontrolled mood disorders
• History of Psychosis or Schizophrenia
• Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) Score greater than 6.5
• Unable to tolerate or manipulate VR treatment procedures (as evidenced by VR capability assessment)

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: N/A

Interventional model: Single Group Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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20 participants in 1 patient group

People with Multiple Sclerosis (PwMS) and Chronic Pain

Experimental group

Description:

Participants with MS will only be able to receive eight treatment sessions in this study group and will complete their treatment over four weeks. Two treatments sessions must be completed each week (of the four weeks) and separated by at least one day. Participants will attend a baseline visit with assessment and training procedures and receive their first treatment immediately after all baseline assessments. Participants will then complete the remaining seven treatment sessions over four weeks. At the final treatment session, participants will repeat assessments. One week following the final treatment session, participants will be asked to return to clinic to complete assessments once more to test cumulative benefits one week following treatment end.

Treatment:

Device: HTC Vive Virtual Reality (VR) system