Combining Virtual Reality and Hypnosis to Alleviate Chronic Pain in Elderly Patients with Hand Arthritis

NCT ID: NCT06833905

Last Updated: 2025-03-19

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

NOT_YET_RECRUITING

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

80 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2025-04-30

Study Completion Date

2025-09-30

Brief Summary

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The goal of this pilot randomized clinical trial is to test the efficacy of an intervention combining virtual reality and hypnosis on decreasing pain and improving quality of life in elderly patients with hand arthritis. The main questions it aims to answer are:

* Does the intervention allow for an improvement of patient reported outcomes related to pain and quality of life?
* Does the intervention allow for an improvement of physiological variables related to pain? Researchers will compare intervention group to a passive control group (i.e., waiting list with treatment as usual).

Participants in the intervention group will be provided a virtual reality headset allowing them to beneficiate from the virtual reality and hypnosis modules.

Detailed Description

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Conditions

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Arthritis Arthritis/Arthrosis Arthritis, Rheumatoid Elderly

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Primary Study Purpose

SUPPORTIVE_CARE

Blinding Strategy

SINGLE

Caregivers

Study Groups

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Combined virtual reality and hypnosis

The intervention consist in 4 different sessions with the VR headset, two consisting in presenting landscapes (i.e., beach, forest) and two consisting in hypnosis techniques (i.e., magic hand, manipulating hand).

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Virtual reality: Beach

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Session 1 or 2 (counterbalanced): Exposure to a beach landscape

Virtual Reality: Forest

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Session 1 or 2 (counterbalanced): Exposure to a forest landscape

Hypnosis: Magic Hand

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Session 3 or 4 (counterbalanced): Exposure to a hypnosis technique: the magic hand

Hypnosis: Pain Manipulation

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Session 3 or 4 (counterbalanced): Exposure to a hypnosis technique: manipulating the pain

Session 1bis - 1 week

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Repetition of the Session 1 one week after Session 4

Follow-up

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Repetition of the Session 1 three weeks after Session 4

Waiting list

The control group consist in a waiting list.

Group Type NO_INTERVENTION

No interventions assigned to this group

Interventions

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Virtual reality: Beach

Session 1 or 2 (counterbalanced): Exposure to a beach landscape

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Virtual Reality: Forest

Session 1 or 2 (counterbalanced): Exposure to a forest landscape

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Hypnosis: Magic Hand

Session 3 or 4 (counterbalanced): Exposure to a hypnosis technique: the magic hand

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Hypnosis: Pain Manipulation

Session 3 or 4 (counterbalanced): Exposure to a hypnosis technique: manipulating the pain

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Session 1bis - 1 week

Repetition of the Session 1 one week after Session 4

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Follow-up

Repetition of the Session 1 three weeks after Session 4

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* Fluent in French
* Being diagnosed with hand arthrisis
* Reporting an invalidating chronic pain in hand related to the condition

Exclusion Criteria

* Experiencing a medical condition altering the ability to consent or participate in the study
* Experiencing cognitive disorders; Experiencing sensory disorders (deafness, blindness)
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

100 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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Ciusss de L'Est de l'Île de Montréal

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Responsibility Role SPONSOR

Central Contacts

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Valentyn Fournier, Ph.D.

Role: CONTACT

438-738-0627

David Ogez, Ph.D.

Role: CONTACT

514-609-4391

References

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Fournier V, Simard MF, Yuen SY, Guine J, Rousseaux F, Lebeau J, Jerbi K, Richebe P, Landry M, Rainville P, Ogez D. Combining virtual reality and hypnosis to alleviate chronic pain in elderly with hand arthritis: protocol for a randomised phase II clinical trial. BMJ Open. 2025 Oct 5;15(10):e103841. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2025-103841.

Reference Type DERIVED
PMID: 41047257 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

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2024-3539

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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