Pilot to Evaluate VR-Therapy on People With Epilepsy and Related Anxiety

Launched by UNIVERSITY HEALTH NETWORK, TORONTO · Mar 15, 2022

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This pilot trial will be a mixed-methods, single-arm study with a target total recruitment of 5 participants. Each participant will take part in: a baseline interview, 12 to 14 days of the intervention, and then a final interview seven days after the last day of the VR-ET.

After obtaining informed consent and before the baseline interview, participants will receive a document that includes a mindfulness strategy, a self-compassion strategy, and a guided imagery technique. Participants will be encouraged to practice these mechanisms before the baseline interview as they will review them wit...

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion criteria:
• • Individuals with self-reported epilepsy aged 18-65
• • Individuals that identify as having anxiety related to epilepsy
• • Individuals that live in the city of Toronto
• Exclusion criteria:
• • PwE who were ever told by a neurologist that they have photosensitive epilepsy or photoparoxysmal responses
• • PwE that ever found, regardless of what a neurologist may have told them, that they have photosensitive epilepsy
• • Individuals with open wounds on face
• • Individuals with cervical conditions or injuries that would make it unsafe for them to use the VR headset
• • Individuals who cannot speak and understand English
• • PwE that started an antidepressant or antianxiety drug in the last twelve weeks
• • PwE that started using medical marijuana in the last twelve weeks
• • PwE that have tonic-clonic seizures more than once a month
• • People with psychogenic non-epileptic seizures
• • PwE that were ever told by a neurologist that stress might be a seizure trigger for them
• • PwE that ever found, regardless of what a neurologist may have told them, that stress may be a seizure trigger for them
• • Individuals that have been diagnosed with panic disorder