Preliminary Benefits of In-Home Virtual Reality for Chronic Pain in Sickle Cell Disease: Pilot Randomized Trial

Background/Objectives: Non-pharmacological approaches are urgently required for managing chronic pain in sickle cell disease (SCD). This multiple-method, exploratory pilot randomized trial was conducted to evaluate preliminary benefits of an in-home virtual reality (VR) intervention (EaseVRx), compared to content-matched audio attention control, for chronic pain reduction and changes to chronic pain-related outcomes in adults with SCD. Methods: Participants were randomized to VR (19) or audio (25), with 2-16 min daily modules for eight weeks, a daily pain diary survey, VR surveys, assessments of chronic pain grade and chronic pain correlates every 4 weeks for 3 months, and a qualitative interview. Analyses were conducted using quantitative and qualitative methods. Clinical Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04906707, 27 May 2021. Results: Average intervention use was 19.1 and 12.1 min per day in VR and audio, respectively. Preliminary benefits of VR included decreased pain (p = 0.002), improved pain coping (pain catastrophizing [p = 0.005] and chronic pain acceptance [p = 0.002]), and improved sleep (p = 0.009). Additionally, symptoms associated with cybersickness were significantly lower (p = 0.012) after VR use than before VR use. Among interviewees, the interventions were acceptable and helpful in managing pain, although there were some barriers and challenges to use. Conclusions: Study findings suggest that in-home VR may be a self-management resource for adults with SCD and warrants additional research.