None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
The study aims to: 1) Investigate the safety and efficacy of a 6-week novel VR intervention for people with upper limb CRPS. 2) Determine the feasibility, usability and acceptability of the novel virtual reality intervention for people with upper limb CRPS.
Interventions
The Intervention
The intervention is a 6-week Virtual Reality rehabilitation programme.
VR Intervention Procedure:
Participants will use a Meta Quest 3 virtual reality headset to engage with a custom-designed software application (“Happihands”) that presents a 3D model of their hands within an immersive virtual environment. The intervention is designed to support upper limb rehabilitation for individuals with CRPS.
Each session will follow a structured format:
1. Hand Visual Manipulation (3–5 m
The Intervention The intervention is a 6-week Virtual Reality rehabilitation programme. VR Intervention Procedure: Participants will use a Meta Quest 3 virtual reality headset to engage with a custom-designed software application (“Happihands”) that presents a 3D model of their hands within an immersive virtual environment. The intervention is designed to support upper limb rehabilitation for individuals with CRPS. Each session will follow a structured format: 1. Hand Visual Manipulation (3–5 minutes) At the beginning of each session, participants will be prompted to modify the visual appearance of their affected (virtual) hand and individual fingers. Available adjustments include: a. Size b. Shape c. Transparency d. Colour/skin tone These modifications are intended to reflect individual preferences and promote a sense of ownership and connection with the affected limb. 2. Rehabilitation Task (15–20 minutes) Following the visual manipulation phase, participants will engage in a rehabilitation game involving timed block building. The game includes five levels of complexity (each involving more blocks and more complex designs) and is designed to provide: a. Visually stimulating and engaging hand movements b. Progressive motor challenges c. Repetitive, goal-directed activity known to support neuroplasticity and functional recovery in CRPS The intervention is delivered remotely to individuals at home with VR headsets delivered to participants by courier. Participants are provided with a custom-developed training booklet, custom-developed instructional video, and a 30-60 minute therapist-led video conference for training, as to the first scheduled VR session. Participants will have the opportunity to contact the therapist throughout the trial. The therapist is a pain specialist physiotherapist with 20 years clinical experience. Participants are asked to complete 5 sessions/week for 6 weeks. Usage data is collected within the software, with adherence data downloaded once VR headsets are returned to the research team.
Sponsors
Auckland University of Technology
Study design
Allocation
Randomised controlled trial
Intervention model
Other
Primary purpose
Treatment
Masking
Open (masking not used)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
To be eligible for the study, participants will satisfy the following criteria: • Aged 18 or over • Pain intensity of greater than or equal to 4/10 on average in the last week at the time of screening • Formal diagnosis of CRPS in one upper limb only as per Budapest clinical criteria • Stable CRPS treatment for at least 4 weeks prior to baseline measurement
Exclusion criteria
Participants will be excluded from the study if they have: a. Current health condition that is likely to prevent engagement with the intervention (e.g. cognitive impairment, recent stroke) b. Inability to communicate in English c. A history of severe motion sickness, epilepsy or (uncorrected) visual impairment that would prevent VR use d. Plan to begin any new CRPS treatments during the 24-week study period e. Amputation of one or more digits (due to hardware constraints that limit hand tracking technology for this group).
Outcome results
None listed