Virtual Reality Guided Meditation for Pain and Anxiety Relief Using an AI Therapist

What this Trial Is About

This research aims to evaluate changes in pain and anxiety levels using the Pain Numeric Rating Scale PNRS and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory 6 STAI-6 before and after a guided meditation in virtual reality VR. The study also seeks to determine how feasible and acceptable it is for patients to use a large language model LLM-generated guided meditation in VR, with the goal of improving future versions of an AI therapist tailored to user needs. Participants are adults admitted to a specific medical center with a baseline pain score of 4 or higher on the PNRS. Participants will wear a VR headset for about 15 minutes, fully covering the eyes to immerse them in calming, 3D nature-themed scenes like lakes, beaches, mountains, deserts, forests, or space. An AI guide will lead each meditation, providing personalized support based on age and pain information from hospital intake. The meditation is designed to help patients focus, breathe deeply, and relax. All participants receive the same length of VR exposure and the same nature scene options. Pre- and post-intervention pain and anxiety surveys are completed, each taking 5 to 10 minutes. During the study session lasting 25 to 35 minutes, participants complete surveys before and after the VR meditation to measure pain and anxiety changes. Researchers will analyze these scores to assess the impact of the VR experience. The study also monitors patient acceptance and feasibility of using VR AI guided meditation. This single session includes no long-term follow-up, focusing on immediate effects and user feedback.

VR AI Meditation for Pain