Table 1. Inclusion and exclusion criteria for patients.

Inclusion criteria	Exclusion criteria
Age≥18 years	Diagnosed neurological disorders, dementia (frontotemporal dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, etc), brain pathology (tumour, stroke, Parkinson’s disease), epilepsy
Outpatient at the palliative care clinic of the Geneva University Hospitals, Switzerland	Diagnosed psychiatric disorder (severe depression, severe anxiety, psychosis, others) or receiving antipsychotic treatment that is deemed to be a contraindication for fMRI
Underlying condition: Heart failure stage NYHA III–IV COPD with dyspnoea mMRC Scale grade 3–4 Cancer with either primary or secondary pulmonary location	Presence of claustrophobia, acrophobia, photophobia, severe hearing loss and/or severe visual deficit
Stable clinical condition (absence of acute cardiac, respiratory and/or neurological failure leading to hospitalisation in the previous 4 weeks)	Contraindication to fMRI and/or IVR (migraines, photosensitive epilepsy, vertigo)
Persistent dyspnoea (>3 weeks despite adequate and maximal medication according to the underlying condition)	Inability to lie down flat (supine position)
Dyspnoea at rest >2 and <8 on the NRS 0–10	Dyspnoea at rest ≥8 on the NRS 0–10

COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; fMRI, functional MRI; IVR, immersive virtual reality; mMRC, modified Medical Research Council; NRS, Numeric Rating Scale; NYHA, New York Heart Association.