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OpenTrials
Completed

NCT Number: NCT05466994

A Phase II Randomized Controlled Trial to Determine the Efficacy of an auGmented reAlity gaMe in pediatrIc caNcer Patients Who Are Opioid Naïve Undergoing Surgery to Reduce Postoperative Opioid Use (GAMING-ON Study)

To learn if playing an augmented reality game called SpellBound can reduce pain and the need for opioids in young patients scheduled for surgery.

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Key information

Age range

5 year–15 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Phase 2

Primary location

M D Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, United States

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About this study

Primary Objective:

•To assess the efficacy of SpellBound's AR-enabled scavenger hunt to reduce the rate of 90-day opioid use in pediatric cancer patients undergoing surgery compared to a control non-AR game in a randomized controlled trial.

Secondary Objectives:

To assess the effect of AR versus non-AR control technology in pediatric oncology patients, including:

  • Inpatient opioid use
  • Average daily inpatient pain score
  • Number of opioid requests during the hospital stay
  • Inpatient PedsQL (quality of life) questionnaire score
  • Ambulation/"out of bed" movement
  • Number days to discharge-ready status
  • Patient experience assessed by satisfaction scores on a questionnaire designed by MD Anderson Cancer Center Child Life team.
  • Outpatient opioid consumption reported at 30, 60, and 90 days
  • Outpatient pain scores reported at 30, 60, and 90 days
  • Outpatient PedsQL scores reported at 30, 60, and 90 days
  • Potential adverse events related to the use of AR (i.e., falls).

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Ages 5-15
  • English and Spanish-speaking parents/legal guardians and patients
  • 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
  • Expected to be prescribed postoperative inpatient opioids
  • Have never taken opioids or have had no daily opioid use within the last 30 days before surgery
  • 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.
  • 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

  • Patients with any daily opioid use within 30 days before surgery.
  • History of documented peripheral neuropathy secondary to cancer treatment
  • Inability to demonstrate an understanding of the game from English instructions
  • Any additional concerns based on the study physicians' assessments

Treatment and study plan

IPAD

Other

Participant will play a game through (standard camera) participants will be able to the hospital room and decals as they appear in the real world

Augmented Reality

Other

Participants will play a game through (devices camera and application) let us participants view the real world

Primary outcomes

  1. Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory Questionnaires

    Time frame: through completion of study, an average of 1 year

    Quality of life assessment-Age-appropriate Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL)29 paper surveys will be administered to the patient (self-report) or guardian (proxy) when patients reach discharge-ready status. Score scales (0-4) 0-Never/4 Almost Always

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

M.D. Anderson Cancer Center

Other

Collaborators

  • National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Registry information

Important dates

Study start
2022
Primary completion
2026
Study completion
2026
First posted
Jul 20, 2022
Registry last updated
Jan 15, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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