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Virtual Environments in Patients Receiving Treatment for Cancer

NCT02392728 · Status: COMPLETED · Phase: NA · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 50

Last updated 2020-07-20

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

The mood disturbances that lung cancer patients experience during and after chemotherapy have a debilitating effect on their quality of life. The goal of the proposed project is to develop and test an intervention that relies on the use of immersive Virtual Reality (VR) to combat the adverse psychological/emotional consequences of receiving treatment for cancer. Although VR has been used with success to treat various psychological conditions (e.g., phobias, PTSD), its potential in helping cancer patients experience an improved mood and hence better quality of life has not yet been tested. In this project the investigators will first develop the virtual content (e.g., natural scenes) that patients will experience within a Head-Mounted-Display, simulating movement by manipulating a gesture controller. The investigators will then carry out a randomized, double blind, crossover trial with 50 hospitalized cancer patients to test whether they can benefit psychologically and emotionally from their interaction with an immersive environment compared to those who will experience a guided imagery intervention. A positive result will open the route for the future development of affordable self-administered VR solutions for treating the psychological side-effects of cancer treatment.

Conditions

  • Mood Disturbances

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Immersive Virtual Reality (VR)

Patients in this group will experience the virtual content (e.g., natural scenes) through a Head-Mounted-Display, simulating movement by manipulating a gesture controller. Following a resting period the patients will then experience the guided imagery session (e.g. visual images of pleasant scenery)

BEHAVIORAL

Guided Imagery

Patients in this group will experience the guided imagery (e.g. visual images of pleasant scenery). Following a resting period the patients will then experience the virtual content (e.g., natural scenes) through a Head-Mounted-Display, simulating movement by manipulating a gesture controller

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • University of Cyprus

    collaborator OTHER

  • Cyprus University of Technology

    lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

Study Design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
SUPPORTIVE_CARE
Masking
TRIPLE
Model
CROSSOVER

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2018-02-05
Primary Completion
2020-01-01
Completion
2020-01-20

Countries

  • Cyprus

Study Locations

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Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT02392728 on ClinicalTrials.gov