Pilot to Evaluate VR-Therapy on People With Epilepsy and Related Anxiety

Summary

Over 28% of people with epilepsy (PwE) struggle from at least one anxiety disorder, making anxiety the most common psychiatric comorbidity in this population. Despite the importance of treating anxiety in PwE, it has not received much research attention and is often unrecognized and untreated. Research has suggested that including exposure therapy (ET) as a part of an anxiety treatment may be helpful for decreasing anxiety in PwE. Research has also shown that Virtual Reality (VR) is an effective and helpful tool for delivering ET in a number of different types of anxiety disorders, such as posttraumatic stress disorder, panic disorder, and social anxiety disorder.

To the investigators' knowledge, no research has been conducted to-date on using VR to deliver ET (VR-ET) in PwE. People with epilepsy have commonly been excluded from VR studies due to the concern that it may trigger seizures in people with photosensitive epilepsy. Although limited research is available on the use of VR in PwE, hesitations regarding the use of VR in this population have not been substantiated and clinicians and researchers are increasingly considering VR for use in this population.

The use of an immersive VR head-mounted display to deliver ET in this population offers several benefits. For example, studies suggest that VR-ET is an especially useful method for customized treatment when it is not safe or practical to do exposures. This is important to consider as it may not be practical to do exposures in-person during times of pandemic, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Even outside of the pandemic, VR reduces the need for travel, which is difficult for PwE in normal circumstances as driver's licences are typically suspended after a confirmed seizure. Using VR for ET as opposed to traditional ET can also save money and time, and allow for more equitable access to healthcare resources for those who may not live in urban centers.

The investigators designed and will be rigorously evaluating a VR-ET program administered in private residences specific for PwE that focuses on decreasing anxiety that is specifically related to their epilepsy or seizures. This study would be among the first to evaluate VR-ET in this population. This study will also contribute to the limited body of research that currently exists managing comorbid anxiety in PwE as well as the minimal existing literature about fears specifically related to epilepsy or seizures.

The overall primary objective of this study is to report on the feasibility and appropriateness of the protocol and evaluation instruments for use in the subsequent larger clinical trial. The secondary objective is to evaluate whether VR-ET reduces epilepsy- or seizure-related anxiety in PwE. It is hypothesized that PwE will experience decreased levels of epilepsy-related anxiety after undergoing VR-ET. These findings will be used to inform a future randomized controlled trial.

Conditions

• Epilepsy
• Anxiety Disorders and Symptoms

Interventions

DEVICE

Participants Receiving VR-Exposure Therapy Treatment

In the baseline interview with an exposure therapy specialist and a member of the research team, participants will be presented with approximately three sets of possible exposure scenarios, each associated with approximately three different scenes that increase in severity level. Through discussion with the exposure therapy specialist, the participant will choose the exposure scenario (out of the three options) that most closely resembles their own epilepsy- or seizure-related fears. As the treatment, the participant will be exposed to the scenes that are associated with their chosen exposure set in a hierarchical manner using an immersive head-mounted display. The participant will work through the three levels of the chosen exposure scenario for approximately two weeks, ideally on each level for four days.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• York University

  collaborator OTHER

• University Health Network, Toronto

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Lora Appel, Ph.D. · University Health Network, Toronto

Study Design

Allocation

NA

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

NONE

Model

SINGLE_GROUP

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Max Age

65 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2023-03-24

Primary Completion

2023-09-20

Completion

2023-09-20

Countries

• Canada

Study Locations