VR-Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Prehabilitation for Spinal Deformity Surgery

Conditions

• Degenerative Spine Disease
• Spinal Stenosis Lumbar

Eligibility Criteria

Sex

ALL

Age

18 Years - 75 Years

Healthy Volunteers

Not accepted

Interventions

• Virtual Reality-Based CBT Prehabilitation (VR-CBT) — BEHAVIORAL
  A spine-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) prehabilitation program delivered using a virtual reality platform. Over 8 weeks before surgery, participants complete home-based VR sessions via a headset and software that provide psychoeducation about surgery and recovery, cognitive restructuring exercises, relaxation and mindfulness training, and graded exposure to movement and pain-related cues in immersive virtual environments. This intervention is administered in addition to usual perioperative clinical care.
• CBT Prehabilitation without Virtual Reality — BEHAVIORAL
  A spine-focused CBT prehabilitation program delivered without VR. Over 8 weeks before surgery, participants receive the same CBT content using non-VR methods covering psychoeducation about surgery and recovery, cognitive restructuring, relaxation and mindfulness, and graded exposure to movement and pain-related cues. This intervention is administered in addition to usual perioperative clinical care.

Study Details

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn whether a virtual reality-based cognitive behavioral therapy (VR-CBT) prehabilitation program can improve recovery and quality of life for adults undergoing elective spine surgery. The main questions it aims to answer are: Does participating in an 8-week VR-CBT prehabilitation program before surgery improve physical function and pain-related outcomes at 12 months after surgery? Does VR-CBT prehabilitation reduce postoperative anxiety, depression, and pain interference compared with usual preoperative care? Researchers will compare participants who receive the VR-CBT prehabilitation program plus usual care to participants who receive usual preoperative care alone to see if the VR-CBT program leads to better recovery and patient-reported outcomes. Participants will: Use a VR headset at home to complete structured CBT-based prehabilitation sessions over 8 weeks before surgery. Attend routine clinic visits and complete questionnaires about pain, function, mood, and quality of life before surgery and through 12 months after surgery. Allow the research team to review their medical records for information about surgery, complications, and postoperative recovery.

Key Dates

First listed

Aug 20, 2026

Start date

Sep 1, 2026

Status verified

Aug 2026

Primary completion

Nov 28, 2028

Completion

Nov 28, 2028

Study Design

Enrollment

80 participants (estimated)

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Intervention model

PARALLEL

Primary purpose

TREATMENT

Arms

• Experimental: CBT Prehabilitation with Virtual Reality Exposure
  Participants receive a spine-focused CBT prehabilitation program delivered using a virtual reality platform (VR-CBT) in addition to usual perioperative clinical care. The 8-week preoperative program includes home-based VR sessions targeting psychoeducation about surgery and recovery, cognitive restructuring, relaxation and mindfulness, and graded exposure to movement and pain-related cues in immersive VR environments
• Active Comparator: CBT Prehabilitation without Virtual Reality
  Participants receive the same spine-focused CBT prehabilitation content delivered without VR (standard CBT sessions/materials) in addition to usual perioperative clinical care. The 8-week preoperative program uses non-VR delivery methods (e.g., in-person or video-based sessions and written/online materials) covering psychoeducation, cognitive restructuring, relaxation and mindfulness, and graded exposure to movement and pain-related cues without VR technology.

Primary Outcome Measure

Change in Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) Score from Baseline to 12 Months After Surgery [ Time Frame: Baseline (preoperative) and 12 months after surgery ]

Central Contacts

• Micheal Y Oh, MD
  714-456-7012
  [email protected]
• George H Habib, BS
  9096965362
  [email protected]

Locations (2)

Find similar trials in Irvine, CA

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