VR Mindfulness Training for Veterans with Spinal Cord Injury and Chronic Pain

This study is exploring a mindfulness program called VA Compassionate Awareness Learning Module (VA CALM) for Veterans with spinal cord injuries (SCI) and chronic pain. The goal is to make the program more accessible for people with SCI, first by delivering the standard program to a small group of 10 Veterans to see what changes are needed. Then, researchers will work with experts to adapt the program and test if delivering some of the modified modules through virtual reality (VR) is practical and well-received. Success will be measured by changes in your mindfulness levels and pain scores over about 14 weeks. You may be able to join if you are a Veteran, 18 or older, have a spinal cord injury, experience chronic pain, and have access to high-speed internet and basic computer skills. The current status of this study is unclear.

Study design
This is an interventional study with a planned enrollment of 10 participants. It will first deliver the VA CALM program to Veterans with SCI to identify necessary accommodations.
What's involved
You would participate in a 9-week mindfulness curriculum, typically once a week for 60-90 minutes. Your mindfulness and pain levels will be measured at the start and about 2 weeks after the program ends.
Compensation
Not stated in the trial record.
Follow-up
Your mindfulness and pain levels will be measured at baseline and again approximately 2 weeks after the program completion, for a total of about 14 weeks.

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NCT06587607

VR Mindfulness Training for Veterans With SCI

Recruiting
NAAges 18+InterventionalSupportive care
VA Office of Research and Development
~10 participants
Updated 2026-03-02 on ClinicalTrials.gov
What's tested:VA Compassionate Awareness Learning Module (VA CALM) a mindfulness curriculum.

At a glance

Recruiting sites
1 of 1 listed site is recruiting right now
RecruitingSuspended, closed, or not yet open
What they're measuring
Mindfulness- Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ)
Measured over Baseline to 2 weeks post completion (Approx 14 weeks).
+5 more outcomes measured
Spinal Cord Injury
Chronic Pain
1 sites across 1 states
Texas1
  • Hilary Touchett, PhD MSN BSN · PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR · Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center, Houston, TX

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Eligibility criteria

Inclusion

Veteran
Diagnosis of spinal cord injury with incomplete or complete tetraplegia based on AIS score OR incomplete or complete paraplegia based on AIS score.
Endorses chronic pain lasting 3 months;
age 18+ years
Access to high-speed internet
Endorse being (at least) minimally proficient on the computer (eg, able to check emails, read the news, etc.); be able, either independently or with caregiver support, to get online for virtual meetings and don/doff VR equipment
Able to speak clearly and independently to participate in focus group interviews.

Exclusion

Individuals unable to consent for research or medical care are ineligible to participate.
  • Mindfulness- Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ)Baseline to 2 weeks post completion (Approx 14 weeks).

    Minimum Score: 1 Maximum Score: 5 Score Interpretation: Items are aggregated and averaged. Higher scores indicate greater mindfulness.

  • Pain- PROMIS-Pain Numeric Rating Scale (NRS)Baseline to 2 weeks post completion (Approx 14 weeks).

    Minimum Score: 0 Maximum Score: 10 Score Interpretation: Single item measure, higher scores indicate greater pain intensity.

  • Mindfulness- Mindfulness Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS)Baseline to 2 weeks post completion (Approx 14 weeks).

    Minimum Score: 1 Maximum Score: 6 Score Interpretation: Items are aggregated and averaged. Higher scores indicate greater mindfulness

  • Pain Interference- PROMIS-Pain Interference (PROMIS-PI, SF8a)Baseline to 2 weeks post completion (Approx 14 weeks).

    Minimum Score: 8 Maximum Score: 40 Score Interpretation: Scores are converted into a T-score which rescales the score into a standardized score with a mean of 50 and a standard deviation of 10. Higher scores indicate greater pain interference.

  • Pain Acceptance- Chronic Pain Acceptance Questionnaire-Revised (CPAQ-R)Baseline to 2 weeks post completion (Approx 14 weeks).

    Minimum Score: 0 Maximum Score: 6 Score Interpretation: Generates scores for two domains: Activity Engagement and Pain Willingness. Scores for each item in a domain are aggregated. Higher scores indicate higher levels of acceptance.

  • Pain Catastrophizing- Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS)Baseline to 2 weeks post completion (Approx 14 weeks).

    Minimum Score: 0 Maximum Score: 52 Score Interpretation: Generates a total score PCS-T and three subscale scores: Rumination, Magnification, and Helplessness. Total score above 30 indicates clinically relevant level of catastrophizing.