Virtual reality, music, and pain: developing the premise for an interdisciplinary approach to pain management.
Emily Honzel, Sarah Murthi, Barbara Brawn-Cinani...
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30817437Actively Recruiting
Phase Not Applicable
Age: 18Years - 88Years
All Genders
ID06214923
Neural Mechanisms of Immersive Virtual Reality in Chronic Pain Study of RelieVRx and Sham VR in Temporomandibular Disorder
Led by University of Maryland, Baltimore · Updated on 2026-01-26
78
Participants Needed
2
Research Sites
26 weeks
Total Duration
On this page
AI-Summary
What this Trial Is About
Researchers are investigating the effects of immersive virtual reality (VR) compared to placebo effects on chronic pain, specifically in people with temporomandibular disorder (TMD). The study aims to understand the brain and behavioral responses to VR as a non-drug pain management method, focusing on how VR may activate the body's natural pain relief systems. Participants include individuals with diagnosed TMD, categorized by their pain impact levels. Participants will experience three different conditions over three-week periods: active VR using RelieVRx for 20 minutes daily, sham VR that lacks immersive features but includes video and sound for 20 minutes daily, and a no-VR natural history control where they continue usual care without VR devices. The study uses a randomized design to compare these approaches and analyze changes in brain activity and pain. During the study, participants will attend four in-person visits about every three weeks where EEG recordings will measure peak alpha frequency (PAF) and heat-pain tolerance will be tested. Daily mood, anxiety, and pain levels will be tracked using questionnaires during the three-week conditions. The research monitors clinical and neural changes to assess the impact of VR on pain. Total participation duration spans multiple phases over approximately nine weeks.
CONDITIONS
Brief Title
Neural Mechanisms of Immersive Virtual Reality in Chronic Pain (VR TMD EEG)
Who Can Participate
Age: 18Years - 88Years
All Genders
Eligibility Criteria
You may qualify if you...
- Age between 18 and 88 years
- Able to speak and understand English
- Diagnosed with temporomandibular disorder (TMD) for at least 3 months
- TMD Grade Chronic Pain Scale (GCPS) score of 0 or higher
You will not qualify if you...
- Present or past degenerative neuromuscular disease
- Cardiovascular, neurological, pulmonary, kidney, or liver disease
- History of cancer within past 3 years
- Cervical pain such as stenosis or radiculopathy
- Personal or first-degree family history of mania, schizophrenia, or other psychoses
- Severe psychiatric conditions requiring hospitalization in last 3 years
- Use of antipsychotic medications
- Lifetime alcohol or drug dependence or recent abuse within past 3 months
- Pregnancy or breastfeeding
- Color-blindness
- Impaired or uncorrected hearing
- Non-dominant hand
- Facial trauma within last 6 weeks
- Severe facial trauma within last 2-3 months
- Conditions interfering with VR mask placement
- Known history of severe motion sickness
- Non-removable head coverings or certain hairstyles
- History of fainting
- History of angioedema
- Failed drug test for specific substances
AI-Screening
AI-Powered Screening
Complete this quick 3-step screening to check your eligibility
1
2
3
Your Study Journey
Screening
Duration - 2 to 4 weeks
Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial.
1 visit (in-person)
Treatment
Duration - 3 weeks per condition
Participants use immersive VR devices or Sham VR daily for 20 minutes over 3-week periods to study effects on chronic pain and neural activity. Participants will also have a no-VR control phase with usual care.
Approximately 4 in-person visits approximately every 3 weeks for assessments
Trial Site Locations
Total: 2 locations
1
Luana Colloca
Baltimore, Maryland, United States, 21201-1512
Actively Recruiting
2
University of Maryland
Baltimore, Maryland, United States, 21201-1512
Actively Recruiting
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Research Team
R
Research Coordinator
K
Katia Matychak, MS
How is the study designed?
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Masking
SINGLE
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Model
CROSSOVER
Primary Purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Number of Arms
2
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Published Research Related To This Trial
Virtual reality: physiological and behavioral mechanisms to increase individual pain tolerance limits.
Luana Colloca, Nandini Raghuraman, Yang Wang...
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32345915Neuropharmacological dissection of placebo analgesia: expectation-activated opioid systems versus conditioning-activated specific subsystems.
M Amanzio, F Benedetti
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9870976The Placebo Effect in Pain Therapies.
Luana Colloca
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30216744