NCT04844567

Virtual Reality Intervention Alleviates Dyspnea in Patients Recovering From COVID Pneumonia

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 26 (actual)
• Sponsor: Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

The present COVID-19 Virtual Reality (COVVR) clinical study is performed to test the hypothesis that an immersive virtual reality (iVR)-based Digital Therapeutics (DTx), would alleviate dyspnea by improving breathing comfort in patients recovering from COVID-19 pneumonia presenting with persistent dyspnea. We will further evaluate participants' perceived awareness of and agency over their breathing movements. Finally, we will track patients' perceived benefits related to the iVR intervention and the feasibility of using COVVR in the clinic or at home.

Detailed description

Persistent dyspnea is the experience of breathlessness that persists despite optimal treatment of the underlying pathophysiology, and results in physical, psychosocial disability for the patient. As observed for SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV patients, a significant portion of COVID-19 patients present with persistent respiratory physiological impairment and persistent breathlessness that may not be addressed with conventional respiratory treatment such as oxygen, bronchodilators, diuretics or non-invasive ventilation. Previous research on respiration-related feedback in Virtual Reality (VR) has demonstrated strong and replicable effects of VR feedback over one's perceived sense of agency and control over one's virtually embodied respiration. Based on these studies, the VR intervention evaluated here aims to alleviate symptoms of perceived breathlessness. This within-subject study will compare breathing comfort as well as breathing discomfort, prior, during, and after a VR intervention that provides embodied visual feedback of participants' on-going respiration. Primary outcomes include subjective reports from participants (breathing comfort and breathing discomfort) and the intervention's clinical feasibility. Secondary outcomes include subjective ratings on perceived embodiment and sense of agency, as well as changes in respiration rate and variability.

Conditions

• Covid19
• Dyspnea

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
DEVICE	COVVR_Synch	Participants wear a respiration belt (Vernier, Go Direct) that continuously transmits thoracic circumference readings to a mobile phone (Samsung Galaxy S8) in real-time. The mobile device is placed in a headset (Zeiss VR ONEPLUS) and used to create a stereoscopic, immersive scene in Virtual Reality. The data from the respiration belt is used to map the on-going respiration pattern onto a virtual body in the scene in one of two feedback conditions. COVVR\_Synch provided synchronous feedback: participants receive real-time feedback of their respiration.
DEVICE	COVVR_Asynch	Participants wear a respiration belt (Vernier, Go Direct) that continuously transmits thoracic circumference readings to a mobile phone (Samsung Galaxy S8) in real-time. The mobile device is placed in a headset (Zeiss VR ONEPLUS) and used to create a stereoscopic, immersive scene in Virtual Reality. The data from the respiration belt is used to map the on-going respiration pattern onto a virtual body in the scene in one of two feedback conditions. COVVR\_Asynch provided asynchronous feedback: participants receive asynchronous, frequency modulated feedback of their respiration.

Timeline

• Start date: 2020-11-26
• Primary completion: 2021-04-06
• Completion: 2021-04-06
• First posted: 2021-04-14
• Last updated: 2022-03-16

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Switzerland