Evaluating VR Therapy Using Cold Pressor Test

Janet Vittone

Status: Completed

Conditions: Pain

Treatments: Other: Cold Pressor; Device: Virtual Reality

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT03268863

17-004181

Details and patient eligibility

About

This study is testing whether or not low-cost, virtual reality (VR) headsets for mobile phones can be used as a potential distractor from pain and thus would have clinical applications as a low-cost, non-pharmaceutical method to increase pain tolerance in patients undergoing painful or uncomfortable procedures. To do this, the investigators are asking volunteers to submerge their hand up to the wrist in cold water (Cold Pressor Test), either while playing an interactive virtual reality game on the headset, or while wearing a VR headset that is turned off as a control. The investigators will record the participants' tolerance to cold water as measured by how long the participants are able to keep their hand in the cold water.

Enrollment: 48 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 65 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Healthy adult Mayo Clinic students and employees

Exclusion criteria

• Participants who are known to be sensitive to VR technology and/or have undesirable reactions to VR technology (i.e. dizziness, motion sickness)
• Participants with significant alcohol/smoking histories, sickle cell anemia, history of previous myocardial infarction and/or coronary artery disease, malignant hypertension, metabolic
• dysfunctions, pregnancy, Raynaud's disease, epilepsy, severe mental disorders, chronic pain conditions, or diseases producing neuropathic pain
• Participants that have used drugs/alcohol the day prior to the study

Trial design

Primary purpose: Supportive Care

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Crossover Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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48 participants in 2 patient groups

Virtual Reality

Experimental group

Description:

Google Cardboard Virtual Reality headset running an interactive game

Treatment:

Other: Cold Pressor

Device: Virtual Reality

Control

Sham Comparator group

Description:

Powered down Google Cardboard Virtual Reality headset

Treatment:

Other: Cold Pressor