Virtual Reality Pain Relief- a project to assess usability of an innovative virtual reality prototype experience to reduce chronic back pain.

Virtual Hippo Ltd正在开发一种虚拟现实（VR）体验，用于慢性背痛患者的VR头戴式耳机，以调节疼痛和减轻压力。体验设计中使用的技术已被证明可以减少大脑中与疼痛相关的活动，并改变身体感知和功能，这将通过VR的沉浸式特性得到增强。这些技术的结合，加上功能性磁共振成像（FMRI）中看到的自我参照处理和“存在”的减少，研究参与者在放松的VR环境中的大脑活动有可能大大减少感知疼痛。VR体验将把经过验证的特定心理压力减轻和疼痛管理技术融入VR环境中，创造一种新的创新VR使用，以调节慢性背痛和较低的感知压力。将在临床前研究期间对原型进行测试，以评估可用性并通过参与者反馈和非侵入性生物生理措施来测量减压效果。该研究将通过为期4周的10名非患者健康参与者研究进行，这些参与者将每天通过VR头戴设备使用VR体验约10分钟。该产品的开发将严格遵守药品和保健产品监管机构的指导方针和NHSX的健康和社会保健数字技术评估标准（DTAC）。

The Virtual Hippo Ltd are developing a virtual reality (VR) experience for use with a VR headset for people living with chronic back pain to modulate pain and lower stress. The techniques utilised in the experience design have been shown to decrease pain related activity in the brain and alter bodily perception and functioning which will be enhanced by the immersive nature of VR. The combination of techniques coupled with the reduced self-referential processing and 'presence' seen in functional resonance magnetic imaging (FMRI) studies of participants brain activity whilst in a relaxing VR environment has the potential to profoundly reduce perceived pain.The VR experience will incorporate proven and specific psychological stress reduction and pain management techniques into a VR environment creating a new innovative use of VR to modulate chronic back pain and lower perceived stress. The prototype will be tested during a pre-clinical study to assess usability and measure efficacy of stress reduction through participant feedback and non-invasive bio-physiological measures. The study will be conducted via a 4-week 10 non-patient healthy participant study who will use the VR experience via a VR headset for approximately 10 minutes daily. The product will be developed with strict adherence to Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency guidelines and NHSX's Digital Technology Assessment Criteria for Health and Social Care (DTAC).