Neural Mechanisms of Immersive Virtual Reality in Chronic Pain
University of Maryland, Baltimore
Summary
This project examines, in chronic pain, the mechanisms of immersive virtual reality compared to the mechanisms of placebo hypoalgesia. The potential of developing new non-pharmacological premises for low-risk interventions for pain management is high.
Description
Virtual reality (VR) has been seen as an intervention for alleviating clinical chronic (and acute) pain. An approach to pain management utilizing VR presents opportunities for reducing pain and suffering by using immersive, aesthetic, and multisensory stimulation. Investigator will analyze the behavioral and neural mechanisms of active VR against sham VR as two methods that investigate descending pain modulation. Thus, the central hypothesis is that those who respond to placebos will likely respond to active VR. If VR-induced analgesia depends upon the release of endogenous opioids. In this p…
Eligibility
- Age range
- 18–88 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- No
Inclusion Criteria: * Age (18-88 years) * English speaker (written and spoken) * Temporal Mandibular Disorder (TMD) for at least 3 months * TMD Grade Chronic Pain Scale (GCPS) ≥ 0 Exclusion Criteria: * Present or past degenerative neuromuscular disease * Cardiovascular, neurological diseases, pulmonary abnormalities, kidney disease, liver disease, history of cancer within past 3 years * Cervical pain (e.g. stenosis, radiculopathy) * Any personal (or family first degree) history of mania, schizophrenia, or other psychoses * Severe psychiatric condition (e.g. schizophrenia, bipolar disorders,…
Interventions
- DeviceRelieVRx
Participants will use RelieVRx daily for 20min/day for 3 weeks
- DeviceSham-VR
Participants will use Sham-VR, consisting of video, images, and sound in a head-mounted display but lack the "sense of presence" and immersive features of Active-VR (for example, scene changes with head movement). Participants will use the Sham-VR daily for 20min/day for 3 weeks
- OtherNo-VR (natural history control)
Participants will continue regular/usual care without any VR devices (goggles or audiovisual input)
Locations (2)
- Luana CollocaBaltimore, Maryland
- University of MarylandBaltimore, Maryland