Using Virtual Reality Psychological Therapy to Develop a Non-Opioid Chronic Pain Therapy

Project SummaryAbstract Chronic pain affects overmillion Americanscosting society about $billion annuallyDespite numerous pharmacological and non pharmacological therapiesoverof chronic pain sufferers feel little control over their painThe need for alternativemore effective pain therapies is urgentas the U Sfaces a widening prescription opioid abuse epidemicCognifiSense has developed a patent pending Virtual Reality Psychological TherapyVRPTwhich is designed to create lasting reduction of chronic pain by addressing the maladaptive learning processes driving pain chronificationVRPT is an experiential learning systemwhich provides the brain a new set of signals that teaches it that the pain is not as bad as it perceived and that it has greater control over the pain than it perceivedVRPT combines the immersive power and the ability to individualize the therapy of Virtual Reality with well researched principles of self distancingself efficacyand extinction to retrain the brainThe goal of this Phase I study is to determine the clinical feasibility of VRPT in achieving a lasting reduction of chronic painestablish brain mechanisms associated with treatment responseand collect comprehensive user feedback to enable further refinement of the current product prototypeThe study will includeadults with chronic back painAfter a two week baseline periodVRPT will be tested onsubjectstreatment groupover aweek intervention periodand a subsequent follow up will be conducted over two weeksClinical efficacy data and prepost therapy fMRI scans will be compared to asubject control groupCognifiSenseandapos s VRPT has the potential to be a significant clinical and business opportunity in the treatment of chronic pain Project Narrative CognifiSense has developed a patent pending Virtual Reality Psychological TherapyVRPTdesigned to create lasting reduction of chronic painVRPT is an experiential learning systemwhich leverages immersive VR trainingself distancingself efficacy and fear extinction tools to correct the maladaptive learning processes which drive pain chronification