Effect of fully immersive virtual reality on daily pain, functional mobility, and health-related quality of life in pediatric sickle cell disease: a single-blinded randomized clinical trial.
rct · Level II
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- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 41664928.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1080/09638288.2026.2625551.
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Abstract
Sickle cell disease (SCD) causes abnormal hemoglobin, chronic pain, anemia, and organ damage. Virtual reality (VR) is a non-pharmacological tool for pain management; its effectiveness in SCD remains underexplored. This study evaluates the effect of an adjunctive fully immersive VR on daily pain and its impact on functional mobility and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in children with SCD. In this single-blinded, randomized controlled trial, forty children (8-18 years) were randomized to VR + usual care (<i>n</i> = 20) or usual care alone (<i>n</i> = 20). The VR group received six 40-minute sessions over three weeks. Outcomes included pain (Numeric Rating Scale), mobility (Timed Up and Go test), and HRQOL (Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory). ClinicalTrials.gov (Identifier: NCT05952817). The intervention group showed significant pain reduction, improved mobility, and enhanced HRQOL compared to controls over five weeks (pain: <i>η</i><sup>2</sup> = 0.28, <i>p</i> < 0.001; mobility: <i>η</i><sup>2</sup> = 0.18, <i>p</i> < 0.001; HRQOL: <i>η</i><sup>2</sup> = 0.08-0.68, <i>p</i> < 0.001). VR was safe and well-tolerated. Adjunctive VR with usual care significantly reduces pain, improves mobility, and enhances HRQOL in children with SCD, supporting its feasibility and safety.