RecruitingNot ApplicableNCT05744336

Impact of Virtual Reality on Anxiety in Patients Undergoing Interventional Procedures

Assessing the Impact of Immersive Virtual Reality Experience on Injection-related Anxiety in Patients Undergoing Interventional Pain Spine Procedures: a Prospective Randomized Trial

Sponsor

Northwestern University

Enrollment

64 participants

Start Date

Mar 12, 2023

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Conditions

Anxiety

Summary

Periprocedural anxiety is a common problem for patients who undergo interventional pain procedures. Virtual Reality (VR) is an immersive experience that has gained acceptance in the medical field as a tool for reducing anxiety and pain for patients.Research Aim: To evaluate the effect of immersive virtual reality (VR) on periprocedural anxiety related to therapeutic cervical epidural steroid injections (ESI). The investigators hypothesize that immersive virtual reality will result in a clinically meaningful anxiety reduction, defined as the proportion of participants with \> 50% reduction in Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) anxiety scores when compared to participants in the non-treatment group who will have standard preprocedural waiting time conditions in clinic, but no VR experience. Similarly, the investigators hypothesize a significant reduction in objective sympathetic tone as measured by skin sympathetic nerve activity (SKNA).

Eligibility

Min Age: 18 YearsMax Age: 80 Years

Inclusion Criteria5

Age 18-80 years old at day of enrollment
Neck pain patient deemed to be a candidate for pain control treatment with interventional fluoroscopically guided cervical epidural steroid injection as determined by their pain medicine provider based on history, physical exam, and radiographic findings
Willingness to undergo pre-procedural intervention of VR viewing experience or equivalent pre-procedural wait time
No history of prior epidural steroid injections
Did not receive sedatives prior to or during procedure

Exclusion Criteria9

Refusal / inability to participate or provide consent
Contraindications to injection (anticoagulated states, allergy to components of injection, local infection at injection site, current infectious process or treatment of antibiotics for current infection)
Uncontrolled anxiety disorder or untreated/inadequately treated psychiatric disorder
History of Alzheimer's, dementia, or cognitive dysfunction
Patient currently taking benzodiazepines
Severe motion sickness
Seizure disorder
Vision loss
Non-English speaking patients

Interventions

OTHERGroup 1 Immersive Virtual Reality (VR)

Participants in Group 1 Immersive Virtual Reality (VR) participants wear the device covering their eyes. The viewing experience will include calming nature sounds for between 15-20 minutes before their planned plain clinic procedure

OTHERGroup 2 Control Group

Group 2 control group participants have no preprocedural intervention. Standard clinic waiting conditions for 15-20 minutes before their planned pain clinic procedure.