Virtual reality hypnosis to reduce anxiety before carpal tunnel surgery

Effectiveness of Medical Hypnosis in Virtual Reality on Preoperative Anxiety in Carpal Tunnel Surgery Interventional Study With Minimal Risks and Constraints, Single-center, Prospective

Not applicable Interventional Clinique MEGIVAL · NCT07083180

This trial will try a virtual-reality guided medical hypnosis session to lower anxiety in people having their first carpal tunnel operation.

Quick facts

PhaseNot applicable
Study typeInterventional
Enrollment60 (estimated)
Ages18 Years and up
SexAll
SponsorClinique MEGIVAL Academic / other
Locations1 site (Saint-Aubin-sur-Scie)
Trial IDNCT07083180 on ClinicalTrials.gov

What this trial studies

Adults scheduled for a first-time carpal tunnel surgery at a single clinic will receive a medical hypnosis session delivered through a virtual-reality headset before their operation. Anxiety levels will be measured before and after the VR hypnosis using standard questionnaires and usual perioperative observations. Patients with uncontrolled epilepsy, sensory deficits that prevent VR use, ongoing anxiety treatment, or who are pregnant or breastfeeding will be excluded. The intervention is offered as a noninvasive, recreational activity adjunct to routine preoperative care at Clinique MEGIVAL.

Who should consider this trial

Good fit: Adults scheduled for their first carpal tunnel surgery who are not pregnant or breastfeeding, not receiving treatment for anxiety, without uncontrolled epilepsy, and able to use VR at Clinique MEGIVAL are the intended participants.

Not a fit: Patients currently treated for anxiety, those with uncontrolled epilepsy, visual or hearing impairments that prevent VR use, and pregnant or breastfeeding people are excluded and unlikely to benefit from this intervention.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, the intervention could reduce preoperative anxiety and improve patient comfort around outpatient carpal tunnel surgery.

How similar studies have performed: Traditional medical hypnosis has shown benefits for reducing preoperative anxiety in prior studies, and early research combining hypnosis with virtual reality is promising though less extensively tested.

Eligibility criteria

Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria:

* First surgery of carpal tunnel

Exclusion Criteria:

* Patients undergoing treatment for anxiety
* Uncontrolled epilepsy
* Visual (binocular vision) and/or hearing impairments preventing the use of virtual reality
* Pregnancy / breast-feeding

Where this trial is running

Saint-Aubin-sur-Scie

Study contacts

How to participate

  1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
  2. Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
  3. Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.
Conditions Carpal Tunnel Surgery
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.