This study is to assess the feasibility of using a Virtual Reality (VR) headset to provide nature-based Attention-Restorative Therapy (ART) as treatment for cognitive impairment in post-treatment cancer survivors. At ART's foundation is the belief that exposure to nature can improve attention by fully engaging a person in a safe and relaxing experience. This intervention uses a VR headset to expose the participant to nature while overcoming some potential barriers of nature-based interventions like access, physical ability, and bad weather. The goal of this study is to understand if people are willing to use the VR headsets to experience nature virtually, if they find it helpful with cancer-related cognitive impairments (CRCI) symptoms and if they are satisfied with using it. Participants will be asked to use self-management materials (weekly home practice logs, Oculus Go™ and online questionnaires) for 6 weeks. Investigators hope to use information from this small feasibility study to study the effectiveness of the intervention in a larger group of cancer survivors and ultimately to help cancer survivors struggling with cognitive impairments.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
SUPPORTIVE_CARE
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
30
The ART-based VR intervention will be provided using an Oculus Go™ which is a commercially available, all-in-one VR headset with a handheld controller.
University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center
Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States
Adherence rate (acceptability)
Adherence will be measured using weekly home practice logs in which participants will record the frequency and duration of their ART-VR exposure. Adherence will be calculated by arm and is defined in arm 1 as using the VR intervention ≥14.4 times (≥432 minutes) over the course of the study. In arm 2, adherence is defined as using the VR intervention ≥19.2 times (≥576 minutes) over the course of the study. The intervention will be considered acceptable if the adherence rate is 80% or more in either arm (or both arms).
Time frame: 6 weeks
Attrition rate (feasibility)
Included in the attrition count will be anyone who does not provide response to the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Cognitive Function (Fact-Cog) questionnaire during week 6 of the study. The intervention will be considered feasible if the attrition rate is 25% or less in either arm (or both arms).
Time frame: 6 weeks
Participant experience assessed using Thematic Analysis
During week 6, research staff will record (either via audio or HIPAA-compliant video platform) participant responses to a set of 6 participant experience questions. Responses will be transcribed and reviewed by two study team members. The research team will then connect the codes to try to identify themes for participant experience. Data analysis will be grounded in the theory of Thematic Analysis, which has been proven to be an effective framework for uncovering meaning in qualitative data.
Time frame: 6 weeks
Impact of intervention, measured by Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Cognitive Function (Fact-Cog) questionnaire
Fact-Cog is a 37-item scale with 4 subscales (Perceived Cognitive Impairments, Impact of Perceived Cognitive Impairments on QoL, Comments from Others, Perceived Cognitive Abilities) with a 7-days recall. Effect sizes for the FACT-Cog and subscales will be calculated for each arm from baseline to week 6. Data will be summarized using descriptive statistics.
Time frame: At baseline, week 4 and week 6
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