Single Arm, Monocentric, Pilot Feasibility Study on an Interactive Virtual Reality Program in 20 Complex In-clinic Palliative Care Patients (ZENCTUARY_VR+)

April 15, 2026 updated by: University Hospital, Strasbourg, France

Palliative care patients frequently face a "symptom cluster" of pain (up to 96%), fatigue (up to 90%), and anxiety (up to 79%), which severely degrades their quality of life in their final months.The study is built on the concept of passive exposure therapy (VREP), which engages multiple senses to distract the brain from pain signals. By creating an "immersive distraction" or a "flow state," VR can activate the brain's reward networks and reduce activity in areas associated with pain perception. Unlike most existing VR research in palliative care which uses "passive" VR (like watching a 360-degree video), this study uses interactive VR. Patients can perform simple actions-like grabbing or dropping virtual objects-within a calming natural environment, which may better support their sense of autonomy and dignity. Because this is a pilot study, the "Go/No-Go" decision for future larger trials depends on a strict composite of three factors:

  • Adherence: The patient must complete at least 11 out of 14 planned daily sessions.
  • Duration: Each session must average at least 7.5 minutes of usable VR exposure.
  • Tolerance: The patient must experience no device-related serious adverse events and maintain a high average tolerance score (VRISE score ≥ 25).

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
20

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Locations

  • France
      • Strasbourg, France, 67091
        • Hôpitaux Universitaires de Hôpitaux Universitaires de Strasbourg
        • Contact:
        • Sub-Investigator:
          • Daphné PRIEUR-DREVON, CCU-AH

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Patient ≥ 18 years old, hospitalized at the USP - HUS
  • Estimated life expectancy ≥ 1 month (Pronopall score based on clinical data).
  • Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) scale score ≥ 26.
  • Able to understand the objective and risks of the study
  • VRISE score ≤ 25 after the VR familiarization procedure
  • Affiliation with the Social Security system or beneficiary of such social protection.
  • Signed consent from, able to understand and complete the questionnaires in French.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Patients with psychiatric disease
  • Patients under court protection
  • Uncontrolled epilepsy
  • Visual impairments (lack of binocular vision, blindness) and/or hearing impairments (deafness) preventing the use of virtual reality

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Supportive Care
  • Allocation: N/A
  • Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Interactive Virtual Reality (VR) Intervention

Participants receive a daily 10-minute session of the "ZenctuaryVR+" interactive virtual reality program for 14 consecutive days. Unlike passive VR, this intervention allows patients to interact with a calming natural environment via a Head-Mounted Display (HMD) and hand controllers to support autonomy and provide distraction from refractory symptoms.

The intervention is supervised by trained clinical staff who perform a daily bedside "go/no-go" assessment. It is administered as a non-pharmacological supportive care tool alongside standard palliative treatments to evaluate the feasibility, safety, and impact of interactive VR on pain, anxiety, and overall quality of life.
Device: ZenctuaryVR+ Interactive Virtual Reality

The ZenctuaryVR+ intervention is an interactive virtual reality (VR) program delivered via a Head-Mounted Display (HMD) equipped with physiological biosensors (EEG and skin conductance). Participants are immersed in a calming natural environment where they perform simple, low-cognitive-load interactions (grabbing/moving virtual objects) to promote autonomy and provide distraction from refractory symptoms.

The intervention is administered once daily for a 10-minute session over 14 consecutive days. Each session is supervised by a trained hospital psychologist or mental-health staff member who monitors the patient's experience in real-time via a tablet. Safety is ensured through a daily bedside "go/no-go" clinical assessment and the use of the VRISE scale to monitor for cybersickness. This supportive care tool is used alongside standard palliative pharmacological treatments.

Other Names:
  • ZenctuaryVR+

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Feasibility Success : Adherence
Time Frame: During the 14-day intervention period.
The participant must complete at least 11 out of the 14 planned daily interactive VR sessions.
During the 14-day intervention period.
Feasibility Success : Duration
Time Frame: Calculated at the end of the 14-day period
The mean duration of all completed sessions (J1 through J14) must be ≥ 7.5 minutes.
Calculated at the end of the 14-day period
Feasibility Success : Safety
Time Frame: From Day 1 (first VR exposure) to Day 14 (final session).
Continuous monitoring for any serious adverse events definitely or probably related to the device throughout the entire study duration.
From Day 1 (first VR exposure) to Day 14 (final session).
Feasibility Success : Tolerance
Time Frame: Assessed daily, immediately following each VR session, over the 14-day period.
VRISE Score assessed daily, immediately following each VR session. The final average score, calculated from the 14 daily post-session assessments, must be ≥ 25
Assessed daily, immediately following each VR session, over the 14-day period.

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
University Hospital, Strasbourg, France

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
MOME, University of Arts and Design

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Estimated)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
September 1, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
March 1, 2027

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
March 1, 2027

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
April 15, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
April 15, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
April 22, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
April 22, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
April 15, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
April 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • RC26_0121

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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