Utilizing Apple Vision Pro for Mindfulness Intervention to Reduce Pain and Anxiety in a Hospitalized Patient With Mixed Connective Tissue Disease: A Case Report.
Pouya Azar, James Wong, Mohammadali Nikoo, Victor W Li, Jessica Machado, Tam To, Christopher Haslam, Rodney Mullen, Borna Noureddin
Cureus April 1, 2026 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.107759 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Case report Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 1 |
| Population | A 22-year-old woman with mixed connective tissue disease experiencing progressive acute-on-chronic pain and weakness |
| Duration | 48 hours |
| Topics | Anxiety Meditation |
| Keywords | Augmented reality Case report Opioid Pain Virtual reality |
| Key findings | Mindfulness app delivered via augmented reality on the Apple Vision Pro reduced pain and anxiety scores in a single hospitalized patient with mixed connective tissue disease. |
Abstract
Developing and evaluating non-pharmacological treatments is critical for optimizing pain management and reducing dependence on opioids, as well as mitigating opioid-induced adverse effects. One promising approach involves the use of virtual reality (VR)- and augmented reality (AR)-guided mindfulness techniques. We examined the clinical utility of the Mindfulness app on the Apple Vision Pro VR/AR headset in managing pain and anxiety in a hospitalized patient with mixed connective tissue disease. This case study presents a 22-year-old woman experiencing progressive acute-on-chronic pain and weakness, significantly impairing her mobility due to mixed connective tissue disease. The case report evaluated the effectiveness of a built-in Mindfulness app provided through AR on the Vision Pro. Conducted over 48 hours, the study assessed pain, anxiety, and as-needed medication usage before, during, and after the intervention for a single subject. The patient participated in six intervention sessions, each averaging 59.67 minutes in duration. The Mindfulness app on the device reduced pain from an average of 4.67/10 pre-intervention to 1.83/10 post-intervention (p=0.03) and anxiety from an average of 6.5/10 pre-intervention to 2.83/10 post-intervention (p=0.03). The patient reported an overall positive experience with a motivation to utilize mindfulness interventions further in the future. The patient experienced some discomfort with the device due to its suboptimal fit and tolerable eye strain with prolonged use. Utilizing Apple Vision Pro to deliver mindfulness interventions could serve as a viable non-pharmacological treatment modality for pain. Further research with adequately powered larger sample sizes and controlled designs is recommended to further study such interventions.
Comparable studies
Other case reports and case series on anxiety, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Persistent Palinopsia Following Ingestion of Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD) Patients who developed persistent palinopsia after LSD ingestion | 1996 | Case series | n = 3 |
| Cannabis‐induced Koro in Americans American men aged 22-26 with years of cannabis experience who reported negative... | 2001 | Case series | n = 3 |
| Psilocybin and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Individual with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder | 2014 | Case study | n = 1 |
| LSD-Like Panic From Risperidone in Post-LSD Visual Disorder Patients with hallucinogen-persisting perception disorder (HPPD) | 1996 | Case study | n = 3 |
| Ketamine-Enhanced Psychotherapy: Preliminary Clinical Observations on its Effects in Treating Death Anxiety Terminally-ill people suffering death anxiety | 2007 | Review and case study | n = 2 |
Citations in the library
Cites 5
- The effectiveness of immersive virtual reality (VR) based mindfulness training on improvement mental-health in adults: A narrative systematic review. Explore August 1, 2022
- Virtual Reality-Based Mindfulness for Chronic Pain Management: A Scoping Review. Pain Management Nursing April 28, 2022
- The efficacy of mindfulness-based interventions in acute pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis Pain August 1, 2020
- The design and methods of the aging successfully with pain study. Contemporary Clinical Trials November 15, 2011
- The effects of brief mindfulness meditation training on experimentally induced pain. Journal of Pain March 2010