Experiences of a Home-based Virtual Reality Serious Game in People With Chronic Non-specific Neck Pain

Experiences of a Home-based Virtual Reality Serious Game in People With Chronic Non-specific Neck Pain: A Qualitative Study.

Background: Immersive virtual reality (VR) has been used for several years in the treatment of chronic neck pain. This new type of rehabilitation device, which can be used at home, is promising and seems to be as effective as conventional treatments for neck pain. Exploring the experience of people with chronic neck pain using this type of rehabilitation device at home could, among other things, help to understand the factors favoring good adherence and those not favoring it. This could also help us to improve VR home rehabilitation programs according to the patients' needs, preferences and expectations. However, currently, no studies have qualitatively evaluated the experience of people with chronic non-specific neck pain using an immersive VR serious game at home.

Objective: To explore the experience of people with chronic non-specific neck pain who used an immersive VR serious game at home.

Methods: Individual semi-structured interviews will be conducted with people with chronic non-specific neck pain. Interviews will last for approximately 30 to 60 minutes and will be carried out face-to-face or via videoconference (Microsoft Teams), depending on up-to-date guidance relating to the Covid-19 pandemic. Semi-structured interviews will be audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. The transcripts will be read several times and analyzed using thematic analysis, with themes emerging from the transcripts (inductive approach). These themes will be defined and revised throughout the analysis process.

Discussion: Study findings will help to better understand the experience of people with chronic non-specific neck pain using a VR serious game at home, and then will allow to adapt it to the subjects' needs, preferences and expectations. These adaptations could further increase adherence to treatment and/or improve clinical outcomes for people with chronic non-specific neck pain using this type of rehabilitation device at home.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Chronic Non-specific Neck Pain
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Semi-structured interview

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 11
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Belgium
  • Bruxelles, Belgium
    • Université Catholique de Louvain

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Adults (over 18 years), men or women, living in Belgium
• Chronic (> 3 months) non-specific neck pain (no specific cause responsible for the neck pain)
• To speak fluent French and to be able to provide informed consent to take part in an interview
• To be able to take part in a semi-structured interview
• No susceptibility to motion sickness, according to the Motion Sickness Susceptibility Questionnaire (MSSQ)

Exclusion Criteria:

• Age under 18 years
• Specific cause responsible for the neck pain (cancer, fracture, etc.)
• Signs of sensorimotor dysfunction (dizziness, vestibular disorders)
• Susceptibility to motion sickness, according to the MSSQ
• Vision problems
• Altered comprehension or inability to speak fluent French
• Inability to provide written informed consent or to take part in a semi-structured interview

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

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

Number of Arms

1

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Other: People with chronic non-specific neck pain; Group of people with chronic non-specific neck pain who agreed to participate in a semi-structured interview about their experience using an immersive virtual reality serious game at home	Other: Semi-structured interview; Semi-structured interview to explore the experience of people with chronic non-specific neck pain who used an immersive virtual reality serious game at home

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
General experience with the virtual reality serious game	Participants' responses based on the questions asked in the semi-structured interviews	30-60 minutes

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Université Catholique de Louvain
• Collaborators: Fonds National de la Recherche Scientifique
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Christine Detrembleur, PhD, Université Catholique de Louvain

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): March 11, 2022
• Primary Completion (Actual): December 22, 2022
• Study Completion (Actual): December 22, 2022

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: February 7, 2022
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 7, 2022
• First Posted (Actual): February 17, 2022

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimate): February 28, 2023
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 27, 2023
• Last Verified: February 1, 2023

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Pain; Neurologic Manifestations; Neck Pain
• Other Study ID Numbers: VR NECK PAIN

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