Efficacy and Mechanisms of Virtual Reality Treatment of Phantom Leg Pain.Home-Based Treatment
Albert Einstein Healthcare Network
Summary
After amputation of an arm or leg, up to 90% of subjects experience a "phantom limb", a phenomenon characterized by persistent feelings of the missing limb. Many subjects with a phantom limb experience intense pain in the missing extremity that is often poorly responsive to medications or other interventions. The study will explore the feasibility and efficacy of a home-based, active VR treatment for phantom limb pain (PLP).
Description
Almost 2 million people in the US have had an amputation and up to 90% of people with limb amputation experience the persistent sensation of the missing extremity, a phenomenon known as a "phantom limb"Additionally, a significant proportion of individuals with a phantom limb - up to 85% in some studies - experience persistent and debilitating pain in the missing limb, a condition known as phantom limb pain (hereafter PLP). Although existing therapies provide pain relief in some cases, there is widespread agreement that current approaches fall short of bringing relief to most individuals with P…
Eligibility
- Age range
- 18–100 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- No
Inclusion Criteria: * Age 18 -100 * Capacity to provide Informed Consent * Unilateral above or below knee amputation more than 3 months prior to enrollment * Absence of cognitive impairment, operationally defined as a Montreal Cognitive Assessment score of 18 or greater1. * Pain averaged over the preceding 1 month in the phantom limb rated as greater than 4 on a scale of 0-10. Exclusion Criteria: * History of significant medical or neurological disorder such as stroke or moderate to severe traumatic brain injury (operationally defined as loss of consciousness for more than 30 minutes) * His…
Interventions
- BehavioralActive Virtual Reality Treatment
The self-administered active VR treatment will consist of 8 twice-weekly sessions, each approximately 1 hour in duration, during which subjects will participate in a variety of Virtual Reality active games that require leg movements while receiving high-quality visual feedback of the missing lower leg.
Locations (3)
- Jefferson Moss Rehabilitation Research InstitutePhiladelphia, Pennsylvania
- University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania
- University of WashingtonSeattle, Washington