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Video game magic: AR adventure cuts opioid need in young cancer patients

NCT ID NCT05466994

Symptom relief Sponsor: M.D. Anderson Cancer Center Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

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Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed This study
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026

Summary

This study tested if playing an augmented reality game called SpellBound can help children with cancer feel less pain and need fewer opioids after surgery. 29 kids aged 5-15 who had never taken opioids before took part. The game was used alongside standard care to see if it improved their recovery and quality of life.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Phase 2

Tests whether the treatment actually works, and watches for side effects, in a larger group.

Participants

29 people

The number who actually took part.

Started

Aug 2022

Finished

Jan 2026

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

5 to 15 years

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: 1. Ages 5-15 2. English and Spanish-speaking parents/legal guardians and patients 3. Undergoing major surgery for cancer requiring postoperative hospitalization is defined as ≥2 hours of duration of surgery and requiring postoperative hospital admission of at least one night 4. Expected to be prescribed postoperative inpatient opioids 5. Have never taken opioids or have had no daily opioid use within the last 30 days before surgery 6. Sufficient cognitive capacity to comprehend and interact with the game. This is defined as the ability to utilize mobile technology (use iPad with or without assistance) and activate and respond to AR experiences within the app as determined by the clinician. 7. Both the child and a legal guardian are willing and able to provide informed consent. * The range from 5-to 15 is based on a recent pilot RCT in which the PI found that older adolescents (\>15 years of age) were disinterested in the interactive game. Exclusion Criteria: 1. Patients with any daily opioid use within 30 days before surgery. 2. History of documented peripheral neuropathy secondary to cancer treatment 3. Inability to demonstrate an understanding of the game from English instructions 4. Any additional concerns based on the study physicians' assessments

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

cancer childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia neoplasm Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Cancer Pediatric ALL

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • M D Anderson Cancer Center

    Houston, Texas, 77030, United States

  • Texas Children's Hospital

    Houston, Texas, 77030, United States

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