RCT of VR Therapy for IBS

Through a pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT), the aim is to test the clinical impact and feasibility of a virtual reality (VR) cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) program versus sham VR among patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). It is hypothesized that using VR-administered CBT may reduce abdominal pain, leading to improved overall physical, psychological, and social functioning when compared to sham VR.

A pilot randomized, sham-controlled clinical trial will be conducted in participants with IBS to achieve the following aims: Aim 1-collect preliminary data assessing the clinical impact of VR cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) (SynerGI); Aim 2-establish the feasibility of using an 8-week VR CBT program among patients with IBS. The study will follow the established NIH protocol for conducting VR clinical trials, which aligns with VR-CORE clinical trial guidance. Participants will be randomized in a 1:1 ratio between two arms : (i) immersive VR CBT Program (SynerGI); and (ii) sham VR. As a pilot randomized controlled trial, it will not be powered for hypothesis testing of clinical outcomes . Instead, the focus will be on determining the plausibility and feasibility of SynerGI, with the aim to recruit 30 fully analyzable patients per arm. Patients will be randomized 1:1 to each study arm . Block randomization will be implemented, using random permuted block sizes of 6, 8, or 10, allowing for up to 15% additional participants beyond the original sample size to account for dropouts. Randomization will also be stratified by sex to ensure a balance of women and men in each arm. Assessments will take place at baseline, midway through therapy at 4 weeks, and after completing the program at 8 weeks (a standard treatment length for VR trials).