Brain Effects of Immersive Virtual Reality for Managing Chronic Temporomandibular Disorder Pain

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are investigating how immersive virtual reality VR works to reduce chronic pain, comparing it to the effects of placebo treatments. This study focuses on people with temporomandibular disorder TMD, a condition involving jaw pain, aiming to understand the brain and behavioral responses to VR. The goal is to explore new non-drug ways to manage pain safely and effectively. Participants will experience three different phases, each lasting three weeks active VR using the RelieVRx device, sham VR with non-immersive video and sound, and a natural history phase without VR intervention. During active and sham VR, participants use the VR devices daily for 20 minutes. These phases are designed to assess how immersive VR affects brain activity and pain compared to placebo and usual care. Throughout the study, participants will attend in-person visits approximately every three weeks for EEG recordings measuring brain wave activity and tests measuring heat-pain tolerance. They will also complete daily questionnaires about mood, anxiety, and pain intensity. This monitoring helps researchers understand both the neural changes and clinical effects of VR on chronic pain over the study duration. The study is conducted by the University of Maryland, Baltimore, and lasts until late 2026.

Neural Mechanisms of Immersive Virtual Reality in Chronic Pain (VR TMD EEG)