The objective of this study is to evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of an Augmented Reality (AR) biofeedback intervention to alleviate pain symptoms in individuals suffering from chronic pain of the hand and/or the forearm.
Chronic pain is a major public health problem with implications for high health care costs, lost productivity and an estimated financial burden of $500 billion. Individuals with chronic pain are also at an increased risk of developing an opioid use disorder. Chronic pain has previously been associated with a distorted body representation, in particular of the affected body parts. Virtual Reality (VR) studies using embodiment-, respiration-, and heart-beat related feedback have demonstrated positive effects for induced pain in healthy participants (e.g., increased pain thresholds) and chronic pain in patient populations (e.g., decreased subjective pain, improved functionality, improved physiological markers of pain). Based on these studies, the AR intervention evaluated here aims to alleviate subjective pain symptoms and improve physiological pain markers in chronic pain patients using heartbeat-related feedback. This within-subject study will compare subjective pain ratings before, during, and after an AR intervention that provides visual feedback of participants' on-going heartbeat in relation to their affected limb. Primary outcomes include subjective reports from participants (perceived efficacy, acceptability, and demand) and the intervention's clinical feasibility, including reports from therapists. Secondary outcomes include changes in heart rate and variability.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
TRIPLE
Enrollment
32
Institut Régional de Médecine Physique et de Réadaptation
Nancy, France
Change in perceived pain
The patient moves a cursor on a Visual Analog Scale to indicate their currently perceived level of pain. The gauge ranges from "no pain" (0) to "worst pain imaginable" (10).
Time frame: change in pain rating will be evaluated when participants first wear the Head-Mounted Display (baseline), after 3 minutes of video-passthrough (Pre), after 3 minutes of cardio-visual stimulation (post), after 3 minutes of video-passthrough (final)
Change in Heart-Rate Variability (time domain)
time-domain metrics of heart-rate variability \[ms\]
Time frame: a change in heart-rate variability will be evaluated between baseline (pre), intervention, and immediately following intervention (post)
Change in Heart-Rate Variability (frequency domain)
frequency-domain metric of heart-rate variability (power)
Time frame: a change in heart-rate variability will be evaluated between baseline (pre), intervention, and immediately following intervention (post)
Questionnaire
Questionnaire on the sensations, usability, and satisfaction with the augmented reality stimulation using a Visual Analog Scale (0-10) where higher scores indicate agreement with the questionnaire item.
Time frame: The first day of the study
Questionnaire
Questionnaire on the sensations, usability, and satisfaction with the augmented reality stimulation using a Visual Analog Scale (0-10) where higher scores indicate agreement with the questionnaire item.
Time frame: The second day of the study
Questionnaire
Questionnaire on the sensations, usability, and satisfaction with the augmented reality stimulation using a Visual Analog Scale (0-10) where higher scores indicate agreement with the questionnaire item.
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Time frame: The third day of the study
Questionnaire
Questionnaire on the sensations, usability, and satisfaction with the augmented reality stimulation using a Visual Analog Scale (0-10) where higher scores indicate agreement with the questionnaire item.
Time frame: The fourth day of the study