Real Time Guided Meditations for Pain in Virtual Reality Study
Christopher Almario
Summary
This study aims to assess changes in pain and anxiety as reported by the Pain Numeric Rating Scale (PNRS) and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory 6 (STAI-6), pre and post a guided meditation in Virtual reality. Objectives of the study are also to determine the feasibility, and patient acceptance of utilizing a LLM-generated guided meditation in VR. Our goal is to learn about any limitations of our approach and provide a pathway for future improvements in creating a VR AI therapist that is optimally aligned with the needs of users.
Description
38 individuals who are admitted to CSMC, who have completed Inpatient Pain Service Center intake form, and who have a baseline pain score of 4 on the PNRS or greater to experience VR guided meditation will be invited to join the study. Patients must have a minimum baseline pain score of 4 or higher on the PNRS to be eligible for evaluation in this study because if a patient begins with no or minimal pain, there is no opportunity for the VR meditation program to produce a measurable reduction in pain levels. Patients will wear a VR headset for approximately 15 minutes. The headset fully covers…
Eligibility
- Age range
- 18+ years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- No
Inclusion Criteria: * 18+ years of age * Individuals who are admitted to CSMC and who have completed the Inpatient Pain Service Center intake form. * Participants must speak one of the program's supported languages (currently English and Spanish) * Minimum pain score of 4 out 10 on baseline pain survey Exclusion Criteria: * Unwilling and/or unable to participate * Does not understand English or Spanish * Self-reported history of severe motion sickness * The presence of a facial/head deformity that will prohibit the wearing of a VR HMD * Those that require corrective lenses -2.5 or stronger…
Interventions
- DeviceVR Guided Meditation
Patients will wear a VR headset for approximately 15 minutes. The headset fully covers the eyes, immersing users in a calming, 3D virtual environment. Once the headset is on, patients will engage in a guided meditation experience, set in a nature-themed scene of their choice; options include a lake, beach, mountains, desert, forest, space, and more. An AI-powered guide will lead the meditation, offering real-time, personalized support based on the patient's age and the pain-related information provided during the hospital intake process. The AI is designed to promote relaxation by helping patients focus, breathe deeply, and feel more at ease. The intervention will be standardized for all participants, with each receiving the same duration of exposure in the VR headset and access to an identical selection of nature scenes. The patients will fill our pre and post intervention pain and anxiety surveys. The pre and post surveys will take between 5-10 minutes each to complete.
Location
- Cedars-Sinai Medical CenterLos Angeles, California