Virtual Reality During Lumbar Punctures in Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

Over 90% of children and adolescents diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) will survive long term. Part of the successful treatment that patients receive is the delivery of chemotherapy directly into their spinal fluid via a spinal tap. This takes place approximately 20 times over the course of treatment. Most children and adolescents receive general anesthesia during this procedure to manage pain and anxiety. It is now understood that general anesthesia contributes to impairments in brain functioning in the long term. Therefore, it is important to identify ways to manage pain and anxiety during these procedures that does not include general anesthesia. The investigators propose to test whether virtual reality (VR: a technology that provides immersive experiences utilizing content uploaded on a headset), used with local anesthesia and the option for an anti-anxiety medication will be an adequate replacement for general anesthesia for participants 7 years of age and over, with ALL in the maintenance phase of treatment.

Over 90% of children and adolescents diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) will be long-term survivors. To help prevent disease recurrence in the central nervous system, patients receive intrathecal chemotherapy, delivered via lumbar puncture, at least 20 times over the course of treatment. Although critical for cure, this component of treatment is a risk factor for neurocognitive impairments that can subsequently affect the daily living skills and academic achievement of survivors. It is now understood that the general anesthesia used to manage pain and anxiety during lumbar punctures also contributes to impairments in neurocognitive functioning. Recent studies have demonstrated that the use of general anesthesia can be decreased by using local anesthesia and offering oral or IV anxiolytic medications. The investigators propose that adding virtual reality (VR: a technology that provides immersive experiences utilizing content uploaded on a headset), to local anesthesia and the option for anxiolytics will be superior to using those medications alone. The investigators' aim in this study is to demonstrate the feasibility of using VR, in conjunction with local anesthesia and oral/IV anti-anxiety medications, in participants 7 years of age and older with ALL in the maintenance phase of treatment. The multi-disciplinary investigator team, which includes experts in pediatric oncology, survivorship, patient reported outcomes, VR technology and VR content, is uniquely suited to successfully develop, implement, and evaluate this strategy. The investigators' long-term objective is to create a scalable and sustainable alternative to general anesthesia that will adequately manage pain and anxiety without compromising neurocognitive function. By systematically working towards this long-term objective, the investigators seek to help survivors of childhood cancer lead happy, normal lives, free from acquired neurocognitive impairment.