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Assessing the Feasibility of a Virtual Reality Intervention for Phantom Pain Immediately Following Lower Limb Amputation

Phantom Limb Pain

The goal of this observational study is to see whether a new virtual reality (VR) program meant to treat phantom limb pain (PLP) is feasible to people immediately following lower limb amputation. This study aims to answer three questions.

1. Is this VR treatment acceptable to people immediately following lower limb amputation?
2. Are the researchers able to recruit participants that represent the population in need of this treatment, and will these participants stay until the end of the study?
3. Do participants who use the VR program more have less severe PLP than participants who use the VR program for fewer sessions?

Participants will:

* Try the VR program in the hospital, their home, and in physiotherapist clinics daily for about seventeen sessions.
* After each session, participants will fill out questionnaires asking about their level of pain, their nausea, and how acceptable they find the program. They will also complete measures asking about how they're feeling and what led to their amputation.
* One month following their final VR session, researchers will phone the participants to ask them to rate how severe their PLP is.

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Participation Requirements

  • Sex:

    ALL
  • Eligible Ages:

    18 to 80

Participation Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

* if they underwent or are about to undergo an LLA (hip, below-knee, above-knee, or foot) within the last two months
* if they are currently receiving inpatient treatment at the Health Sciences Centre (HSC) in Winnipeg, Canada
* if they can speak/read English fluently

Exclusion Criteria:

* any visual, hearing, or motor impairment that would affect engaging with a head-mounted VR headset or hand controls, as interpreted by the research team or nursing staff

Study Location

Health Sciences Center
Health Sciences Center
Winnipeg, Manitoba
Canada

Contact Study Team

Primary Contact

Megan Crooks, BSc. (Hons.)

[email protected]
2045997174
Backup Contact

Renee El-Gabalawy, PhD

[email protected]
2047874713
Study Sponsored By
University of Manitoba
Participants Required
More Information
Study ID: NCT06638918