A Study of the Impact of a Virtual Reality Medical Device (HypnoVR® Headset) on Anxiety and Pain in Interventional Radiology.
For patients and families
In plain language
An automatic summary of structured registry data. It is an orientation aid, not a substitute for the official protocol or a physician assessment.
- What is being studied
- The protocol lists: Immersive Virtual Reality.
- Who it may be relevant to
- Registry conditions: Anxiety, Pain, Radiology, Interventional. Basic parameters: from 18 years · All.
- What needs checking
- Age, condition and sex are only basic indicators. Prior treatment, laboratory values and other mandatory requirements appear in the eligibility criteria below.
- Where it takes place
- France
- Next step
- Save the trial, show it to the treating physician, and confirm current recruitment with the study center. Costs, documents and travel →
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Overview
Patients undergoing interventional radiology procedures frequently experience significant anxiety and procedural pain despite standard care. Virtual reality (VR) has emerged as a promising non-pharmacological tool for anxiety and pain reduction in various medical settings. The HYPNO-VR study is a prospective randomized controlled trial designed to evaluate the effect of immersive virtual reality during interventional radiology procedures. Participants will be randomized in a 1:1 ratio to either a virtual reality group or a standard care control group. The primary objective is to assess the impact of VR on procedural anxiety and pain using validated anxiety questionnaires (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, STAI) and a numerical pain rating scale. Secondary and exploratory objectives include assessment of patient satisfaction, operator experience, procedural duration, analgesic use, and feasibility of VR integration in interventional radiology practice.
Detailed description
Interventional radiology procedures are frequently associated with significant procedural anxiety and pain, which may negatively affect patient experience, cooperation during the procedure, and overall procedural conditions. Although pharmacological analgesia and anxiolysis are commonly used, non-pharmacological approaches aimed at improving patient comfort are increasingly being explored.
Immersive virtual reality (VR) has demonstrated promising effects on anxiety and pain reduction in several medical and surgical settings. By providing immersive audiovisual stimulation and distraction, VR may reduce the emotional and sensory perception associated with stressful medical procedures. However, data regarding its use in interventional radiology remain limited.
The HYPNO-VR study is a prospective randomized controlled monocentric study evaluating the impact of immersive virtual reality during interventional radiology procedures performed under local anesthesia.
Eligible adult patients undergoing an interventional radiology procedure will be randomized in a 1:1 ratio to either :
* a virtual reality group receiving immersive VR during the procedure in addition to standard care ; * or a control group receiving standard care alone.
The primary objective is to evaluate the effect of VR on procedural anxiety and pain. Anxiety will be assessed using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-Y), including trait anxiety assessment before the procedure and state anxiety assessment immediately before and after the procedure. Procedural pain will be evaluated using a numerical rating scale.
Secondary and exploratory objectives include evaluation of patient satisfaction, operator experience, procedural duration, analgesic use during the procedure, and feasibility of VR integration into routine interventional radiology practice.
The study aims to assess whether immersive VR may represent a simple, feasible, and effective complementary tool to improve patient experience during interventional radiology procedures.
Interventions
- Device Immersive Virtual Reality
Use of an immersive virtual reality headset during interventional radiology procedures performed under local anesthesia in order to reduce procedural anxiety and pain.
Primary outcome measures
- Change in Procedural Anxiety and Procedural Pain [Time frame: From immediately before the procedure to immediately after the procedure]
Secondary outcome measures (5)
- Patient Satisfaction [Time frame: Immediately after the procedure]
- Operator Experience [Time frame: Immediately after the procedure]
- Procedure Duration [Time frame: During the procedure]
- Analgesic Use During the Procedure [Time frame: During the procedure]
- Feasibility of Immersive Virtual Reality Use [Time frame: During and immediately after the procedure]
Eligibility criteria
Inclusion criteria
- Age ≥18 years.
- Scheduled to undergo an interventional radiology procedure performed under local anesthesia without sedation.
- Affiliation to a health insurance system.
- Received complete information about the study and provided written informed consent.
- Ability to understand the study information and complete the questionnaires.
Exclusion criteria
- Refusal to participate or withdrawal of consent.
- Patients under legal protection preventing valid informed consent according to regulatory requirements.
- Inability to understand study-related information or to use the virtual reality device due to severe visual, auditory, or cognitive impairment, as clinically assessed by the investigator.
- History of photosensitive epilepsy or uncontrolled epilepsy, constituting a contraindication to virtual reality use.
- Known contraindication to virtual reality use (history of severe cybersickness).
Criteria are shown verbatim from the registry (in English). Final eligibility is always assessed by the study center.
Healthy volunteers: No
Study design
- Allocation
- Randomized
- Model
- Parallel assignment
- Masking
- Open label
- Primary purpose
- Supportive care
Study locations
France · 1 center
- CHU Clermont-Ferrand — Clermont-Ferrand
Identifiers
NCT: NCT07668050 · RBHP 2025 CHABROT