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Virtual Reality Cognitive-Affective Training for Opioid Use Disorder- A Phase 2 RCT

Digital Therapeutic Development of Virtual Cognitive-Affective Training for Opioid Use Disorder: A Phase 2 Randomized Controlled Trial

Status
Active, not recruiting
Phases
NA
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT06021431
Enrollment
128
Registered
2023-09-01
Start date
2023-09-07
Completion date
2025-09-30
Last updated
2025-07-02

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Opioid Use Disorder

Keywords

Mindfulness, Virtual Reality, Opioid Use Disorder

Brief summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to examine the usefulness of a virtual reality-delivered intervention for individuals with opioid use disorder who are taking medication. The main question it aims to answer is will people with opioid use disorder who receive the study intervention, Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement in Virtual Reality (MORE-VR), have fewer days in which they use opioids than will people who just receive their usual treatment. Participants will be randomly assigned to either receive 8 weekly sessions of MORE-VR in addition to their usual treatment, or treatment as usual only. Researchers will compare these groups at the end of treatment and three months after treatment is over on number of days of opioid use and time until first opioid use lapse, as well as drug craving and mood.

Detailed description

This project is a Phase II, two-arm, parallel randomized controlled trial (RCT) of a virtual reality form of Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement (MORE-VR) versus treatment as usual (TAU) for patients receiving medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) to assess the efficacy of the MORE-VR system. Participants will be randomized (1:1) to either 8 weekly sessions of MORE-VR or TAU. Participants will be assessed at intake, post-treatment, and a 3 month post-treatment follow-up. The primary outcome assessed will be days of opioid use.

Interventions

DEVICEMORE-VR

An 8-session version of Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement (MORE) delivered by virtual reality. The treatment involves training in mindfulness,reappraisal, and savoring techniques to address OUD. Combination Product: Participants in this arm will also receive Treatment as usual (TAU) with medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD). Usual addictions treatment with medications such as buprenorphine or methadone plus psychological counseling.

OTHERTreatment as Usual

Participants will receive their usual treatment for OUD, including medications such as buprenorphine or methadone and any counseling they might already be receiving

Sponsors

University of Utah
CollaboratorOTHER
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
CollaboratorNIH
University of California, San Diego
CollaboratorOTHER
BehaVR LLC
Lead SponsorINDUSTRY

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE (Outcomes Assessor)

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* 18 years of age or older * current DSM-5 OUD diagnosis * prescribed medications for opioid use disorder (e.g., buprenorphine, methadone)

Exclusion criteria

* completion of a standardized mindfulness intervention (e.g., MORE, MBRP, MBSR) * active psychosis or suicidality * reports, or is noted by clinical or study staff as showing cognitive impairment * condition which might be contraindicated for VR use including seizure disorder, vertigo, severe motion sickness, recent concussion

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Days of opioid useBaseline to post-treatment assessment (8 weeks)Days of opioid use assessed with the Timeline Followback method, ecological momentary assessments, and/or drug toxicology screen

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Days of opioid use at follow-upBaseline to 3 months post treatment (20 weeks from baseline)Days of opioid use assessed with the Timeline Followback method, ecological momentary assessments, and/or drug toxicology screen
Time until opioid lapseBaseline through 3 month post-treatment follow-upNumber of days until opioid lapse assessed with the Timeline Followback method, ecological momentary assessments, and/or drug toxicology screen
Time until dropout from opioid use disorder treatmentBaseline through 3 month post-treatment follow-upNumber of days unti dropout from treatment, assessed by Timeline Followback and chart review
Desire for drugsBaseline, post-treatment, 3 month post-treatment follow-up, and weekly during intervention periodDesires for Drug Questionnaire, range from 14 to 98, higher scores indicating more intense desires for drugs
Opioid cravingBaseline, post-treatment, 3 month post-treatment follow-up, and weekly during intervention period0-10 numeric rating scale via ecological momentary assessment (0=no craving, 10=extreme craving).
Positive AffectBaseline, post-treatment, 3 month post-treatment follow-up, and weekly during intervention period0-10 numeric rating scale via ecological momentary assessment (0=no positive affect, 10=extremely strong positive affect).
Negative AffectBaseline, post-treatment, 3 month post-treatment follow-up, and weekly during intervention period0-10 numeric rating scale via ecological momentary assessment (0=no negative affect, 10=extremely strong negative affect).
Positive and Negative Affect ScheduleBaseline, post-treatment, 3 month post-treatment follow-up, and weekly during intervention periodA 20-item scale measuring both positive and negative affect, where each affective term is rated on a scale of 1 (not at all) to 5 (very much)
Health-related Quality of LifeBaseline through 3 month post-treatment follow-upWorld Health Organization Quality of Life Scale Quality of life measured by the World Health Organization Quality of Life Scale (WHO-5), scores ranging from 0 to 25, with higher scores indicating better quality of life.
DistressBaseline through 3 month post-treatment follow-upEmotional distress measured by the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale, range from 0 to 63, higher scores indicating worse distress.

Other

MeasureTime frameDescription
Drug cue reactivityBaseline to immediately after the interventionFor a subset of participants, we will asses change from baseline in neurophysiological response during lab-based task involving presentation of drug cues designed to measure cue-reactivity.
Emotion regulationBaseline to immediately after the interventionFor a subset of participants, we will assess change from baseline in neurophysiological response during lab-based task involving presentation of emotional stimuli.
Theta oscillationsBaseline to immediately after the interventionFor a subset of participants, we will assess theta oscillations as measured by EEG during meditation

Countries

United States

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026