NCT06077227

Immersive Healing: The Therapeutic Potential of Virtual Reality

Immersive Healing: The Therapeutic Potential of Virtual Reality in Phantom Limb Experience

• Status: Recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 20 (estimated)
• Sponsor: Wake Forest University Health Sciences · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

Phantom limb pain (PLP) is a significant and pervasive issue among upper limb amputees, severely impacting their quality of life. The literature delineating prevalence of upper versus lower limb amputations is limited, but the prevalence of total amputations in the United States is estimated to reach 3 million individuals by 2050, with approximately 185,000 new cases annually. PLP affects 60-68% of these patients, leading to heightened levels of anxiety, depression, and reduced overall well-being.

Detailed description

Although studies exploring the efficacy of VR therapy for PLP have reported positive outcomes, several limitations, such as small sample sizes, lack of randomization, and inconsistent treatment protocols, have impeded widespread adoption of these innovative approaches. Additionally, the literature does not sufficiently delineate which aspects of the phantom limb experience may be addressed with VR therapy. To overcome these limitations and optimize treatment efficacy, it is crucial to gain a comprehensive understanding of the phantom limb experience, including both somatosensory and kinesthesia-related symptoms. Additionally, this study will address these limitations by employing a larger sample size, rigorous methodology, and a standardized treatment protocol.

Conditions

• Phantom Limb Pain (PLP)

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
DEVICE	virtual reality therapy	6 2 times weekly sessions of 30-minute VR therapy in the office with pre- and post-intervention surveys
OTHER	matched control group	taking the same surveys as the VR intervention group on a weekly basis for 6 weeks

Timeline

• Start date: 2023-12-21
• Primary completion: 2026-10-01
• Completion: 2026-10-01
• First posted: 2023-10-11
• Last updated: 2025-10-31

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States

Regulatory

• FDA-regulated device study