ONC-MM-2407: The Effect of Virtual Reality Headsets on Pain and Anxiety in the Peri and Post Bone Marrow Biopsy Period

NCT ID: NCT07203534

Last Updated: 2025-12-18

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

Get a concise snapshot of the trial, including recruitment status, study phase, enrollment targets, and key timeline milestones.

Recruitment Status

NOT_YET_RECRUITING

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

160 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2026-01-31

Study Completion Date

2028-02-29

Brief Summary

Review the sponsor-provided synopsis that highlights what the study is about and why it is being conducted.

The purpose of this research study is to see if a virtual reality (VR) headset is useful in reducing physical discomfort and anxiety experienced by patients who are scheduled to undergo a bone marrow biopsy (BMB) and/or bone marrow aspiration (BMA).

Detailed Description

Dive into the extended narrative that explains the scientific background, objectives, and procedures in greater depth.

This will be a randomized controlled trial comparing standard of care to standard of care + VR intervention for adult participants who have or are suspected of having a malignant hematologic disorder and are scheduled for an outpatient bone marrow biopsy (BMB) and/or bone marrow aspiration (BMA). Participants will be randomized 1:1. Participants will be risk stratified based on whether they are undergoing a biopsy for the first time or not.

Conditions

See the medical conditions and disease areas that this research is targeting or investigating.

Hematologic Malignancy

Keywords

Explore important study keywords that can help with search, categorization, and topic discovery.

Bone Marrow Biopsy Virtual Reality Headset

Study Design

Understand how the trial is structured, including allocation methods, masking strategies, primary purpose, and other design elements.

Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Primary Study Purpose

SUPPORTIVE_CARE

Blinding Strategy

NONE

Study Groups

Review each arm or cohort in the study, along with the interventions and objectives associated with them.

Standard of Care

Group Type OTHER

Standard of Care

Intervention Type OTHER

Standard of care for a bone marrow biopsy/bone marrow aspiration includes routine site-specific lidocaine anesthetic.

Virtual Reality intervention and Standard of Care

Group Type OTHER

Standard of Care

Intervention Type OTHER

Standard of care for a bone marrow biopsy/bone marrow aspiration includes routine site-specific lidocaine anesthetic.

Virtual Reality intervention

Intervention Type OTHER

Participants will wear the VR headset (Quest 3 by Meta) during your bone marrow procedure.

Interventions

Learn about the drugs, procedures, or behavioral strategies being tested and how they are applied within this trial.

Standard of Care

Standard of care for a bone marrow biopsy/bone marrow aspiration includes routine site-specific lidocaine anesthetic.

Intervention Type OTHER

Virtual Reality intervention

Participants will wear the VR headset (Quest 3 by Meta) during your bone marrow procedure.

Intervention Type OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

Check the participation requirements, including inclusion and exclusion rules, age limits, and whether healthy volunteers are accepted.

Inclusion Criteria

1. Ability to understand and willingness to sign an IRB-approved informed consent directly.
2. Must be 18 years or older at time of consent.
3. Scheduled for an outpatient bone marrow biopsy (BMB) and/or bone marrow aspiration (BMA). Note that this does not need to be the participant's first BMB/BMA.
4. Participant should be suspected of or being diagnosed with a malignant hematologic disease (i.e., Acute or chronic leukemia, lymphoma, clonal plasma cell disorder, etc.) per the investigator.
5. Ability to read and understand the English language.
6. As determined by the enrolling investigator, ability of the participant to understand and comply with study procedures for the entire length of the study

Exclusion Criteria

1. Participant is prescribed analgesics or anxiolytics for the purpose of reducing pain or anxiety prior to the procedure.
2. Participant with known intolerance to using virtual reality devices, significant motion sickness, history of seizures, history of vestibular disorders, or heart conditions (unstable angina, recent myocardial infarction within the last 3 months, decompensated heart failure, uncontrolled arrhythmias-ventricular tachycardia, a fibrillation with rapid ventricular rate), history of postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) per participant report.
3. Participants with pacemakers, defibrillators, hearing aid, or other implanted medical device. The Meta Quest device contains magnets and components that emit magnetic/electromagnetic fields which could affect the operation of nearby electronics and medical devices.
4. Planned to undergo the bone marrow biopsy/bone marrow aspiration via Interventional Radiology or as an inpatient admission.
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

Meet the organizations funding or collaborating on the study and learn about their roles.

Atrium Health Levine Cancer Institute

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

Wake Forest University Health Sciences

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

Identify the individual or organization who holds primary responsibility for the study information submitted to regulators.

Responsibility Role SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

Learn about the lead researchers overseeing the trial and their institutional affiliations.

Cindy Varga, MD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Wake Forest University Health Sciences

Locations

Explore where the study is taking place and check the recruitment status at each participating site.

Levine Cancer Insitute

Charlotte, North Carolina, United States

Site Status

Countries

Review the countries where the study has at least one active or historical site.

United States

Central Contacts

Reach out to these primary contacts for questions about participation or study logistics.

Courtney Schepel

Role: CONTACT

Phone: (980) 442-2327

Email: [email protected]

Cindy Varga, MD

Role: CONTACT

Phone: 704-355-2000

Email: [email protected]

Facility Contacts

Find local site contact details for specific facilities participating in the trial.

Courtney Schepel

Role: primary

Other Identifiers

Review additional registry numbers or institutional identifiers associated with this trial.

ONC-MM-2407

Identifier Type: OTHER

Identifier Source: secondary_id

P30CA012197

Identifier Type: NIH

Identifier Source: secondary_id

View Link

IRB00136466

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id