Innovative Rehabilitation: Integrating VR-Based Sensorimotor Training Into Comprehensive Neck Rehabilitation

NCT06750718 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: P.T.REC/012/005274
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 50
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 2

Brief Summary

The research aims to treat chronic non-specific neck pain using virtual reality (VR) technologies with sensory-motor training. Chronic neck pain is widespread and highly prevalent in Egyptian society due to many factors, such as sitting for long periods in front of a computer or smartphone, which leads to a decline in productivity at work and a constant feeling of fatigue. This problem is considered one of the widespread health problems that affect individuals of all ages and greatly affect their daily lives. This project was chosen based on the growing awareness of the need to search for innovative solutions to this health problem that hinders productivity and affects the general comfort of individuals. The reserch aims to integrate sensory-motor therapy with virtual reality, which helps patients improve movement and flexibility and reduce pain. It does this by simulating exciting interactive environments that engage their attention and help them relieve pain away from traditional treatment methods.

Conditions

Chronic Non Specific Neck Pain

Keywords

Virtual Reality (VR); Non specific Neck Pain (NSNP); Neck-based Training Sensorimotor Training; Sensorimotor Training

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (10)

• Measurement of pain intensity (VAS)

  Asking the patient to put a horizontal mark on a continuous 10 cm line that represents his/her pain intensity, ranging from zero, which indicates no pain, or 29 discomfort to 10, which indicates the worst possible pain he could feel.

  Before Treatment and after 6 weeks of treatment

• Measurement of disability due to neck pain (NDI)

  The patient will complete a condition-specific functional status questionnaire with 10 items. The NDI consists of 10 domains-pain intensity, personal care, lifting, reading, headache, concentration, work, driving, sleep, and recreation-designed to assess the level of disability in patients with neck pain. Patients self-report their level of function/disability in each domain, after which a composite score is calculated.

  Before Treatment and after 6 weeks of treatment

• Cervical proprioception and neck reposition sense

  Cervical joint position error (JPE) Test is a measurement tool used to clinically assess an individual's cervicocephalic proprioception ability.

  Before Treatment and after 6 weeks of treatment

• Eye Movement Control (Gaze Stability)

  The Dynamic Visual Acuity (DVA) test is used for assessing gaze stability.

  Before Treatment and after 6 weeks of treatment

• Cervical range of motion (ROM)

  Cervical ROM results were calculated by averaging the three best values from each direction

  Before Treatment and after 6 weeks of treatment

• Cervical kinematics: Peak velocity (V peak /sec)

  Calculated as the maximal angular velocity, from motion initiation to target hit.

  Before Treatment and after 6 weeks of treatment

• Cervical kinematics: Mean velocity (V mean /sec)

  The mean angular velocity angular velocity, from motion initiation to target hit

  Before Treatment and after 6 weeks of treatment

• Cervical kinematics: Time to peak velocity percentage (TTP%)

  The time from motion initiation to peak velocity moment, as a percentage of total movement time, representing the ratio between the acceleration to deceleration phase in the velocity profile

  Before Treatment and after 6 weeks of treatment

• Cervical kinematics: Static head stability (sway)

  The sway in pitch and yaw from the mid-position and calculated in terms of 3D mean and standard deviation amplitude

  Before Treatment and after 6 weeks of treatment

• Cervical kinematics: Head movement accuracy

  Motion accuracy was defined as the difference between the target position and the participant's head location. This difference (target position- player's head position)

  Before Treatment and after 6 weeks of treatment

Study Arms (2)

Virtual Reality

EXPERIMENTAL

The virtual reality group will engage in targeted cervical sensorimotor training through VR Oculus Quest 2 (OQ2)

Device: Virtual Reality (VR)

Comprehensive Sensorimotor Training

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

An exercise program consisting of Cervical JPSM, Cervical movement sense, and Oculomotor control exercises.

Other: Comprehensive Sensorimotor Training

Interventions

Comprehensive Sensorimotor Training OTHER

An exercise program consisting of Cervical JPSM, Cervical movement sense, and Oculomotor control exercises.

Comprehensive Sensorimotor Training

Virtual Reality (VR) DEVICE

Oculus Quest 2 (OQ2) advanced 256 GB all-in-one virtual reality headset, Wi-Fi will be used.

Also known as: Oculus Quest 2 (OQ2)

Virtual Reality

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 40 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• Fifty patients diagnosed with mechanical neck pain between 18- and 40 years old with mechanical neck pain.
• Patients with pain intensity scores (\>3) on the visual analog scale (VAS; 0-100mm) for an average of three weeks before the study.
• Neck Disability Index (NDI) scoring 20%-60% (\>6) (moderate to severe disability).

You may not qualify if:

• Any history of lower extremity or spine trauma or surgery, recognized and observable spinal deformity, neurological disorders, cervical fracture/dislocation, whiplash injuries, neurological/cardiovascular/respiratory disorders affecting patients' physical performance, or inability to provide informed consent.
• Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), as confirmed by the Dix Hallpike test.
• Pregnancy.
• Patients who had received physical therapy interventions for neck pain within three months preceding the study were also ineligible for participation and were excluded.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• MTI University: lead
• Cairo University: collaborator

Study Sites (2)

Cairo University

Cairo, Egypt

Location

Physical Therapy

Cairo, Egypt

Location

Study Officials

• Hadeer Maghraby, MSc

  Assistant Lecturer

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Masking Details: A blinded researcher will assess the patients during the trial, blinding will not be feasible for participants or therapists due to the layout of the VR therapy.
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Assistant Lecturer of Orthopedic Physiotherapy in MTI University

Model Details: Fifty patients with mechanical neck pain patients will be randomly allocated into 2 equal groups; group (A) received VR neck-based sensorimotor training only, group (B) received comprehensive sensorimotor training only. (Parallel Group Two-Armed Comparative Randomized Controlled Trial)

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: December 16, 2024
• First Posted: December 27, 2024
• Study Start: July 1, 2024
• Primary Completion: December 30, 2025
• Study Completion: March 30, 2026
• Last Updated: April 2, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-03

Locations

EG (2)