Virtual Intelligence for Transformative Lifestyle Solutions in Pain

Launched by MONTEFIORE MEDICAL CENTER · Aug 8, 2025

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is testing a new way to help people with chronic pain who also struggle with opioid misuse or opioid use disorder. The study uses virtual reality (VR) technology combined with an artificial intelligence (AI) coach to teach pain management skills and stress reduction in a single 45-minute session. This session is split into three parts: a check-in with the AI coach to talk about health and well-being, a lesson on coping with pain, and a short exercise to reduce stress. The VR experience uses a special headset called the Meta Quest 3 and is designed to be done in a medical clinic.

People who may join the study are adults aged 18 to 74 who have ongoing moderate to severe chronic pain and a diagnosis related to opioid misuse or opioid use disorder. Participants need to be able to understand English and agree to take part in all parts of the study. Some people won’t be able to join, such as those with severe motion sickness, certain vision or hearing problems, a history of seizures, or serious psychiatric issues that would make using VR unsafe. If you join, you’ll visit the clinic for the VR session and learn new ways to manage pain and stress with guidance from the virtual coach. This study is still in the early stages and is not yet recruiting participants.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • Patients with opioid misuse or International Classification of Diseases 10th revision (ICD-10) diagnosis of opioid use disorder
• • Patients with Chronic pain of at least moderate intensity (\>4 Pain Intensity Score) with no pain medication changes in 14 days
• • Ability to understand written/spoken instruction and provide informed consent in English
• • Ability and willingness to participate in all components of the study
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • History of severe motion sickness, cybersickness, or conditions that could make participation in VR hazardous or cause adverse effects
• • Conditions that could prevent proper use of VR headset (such as vision problems that cannot be corrected by contact lenses or glasses that fit in VR, Significant hearing impairments that cannot be corrected by a hearing device)
• • History of seizures or seizure disorder
• • Acute exacerbation of psychiatric conditions that preclude the ability to participate in the study