Ice Immersion Using Virtual Reality & Augmented Reality

Stanford University

Status: Completed

Conditions: Pain, Acute; Pain, Neuropathic

Treatments: Device: VR/AR; Other: Ice Bath

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT04196686

50951

Details and patient eligibility

About

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of different technologies, Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality with modifications as passive content, active content, cognitive load modulation, and positive encouragement coaching to increase the pain threshold as assessed by immersing a hand in ice water.

Enrollment: 185 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Greater than 18 years of age
• English speaking
• Hearing intact

Exclusion criteria

• Patients who do not consent
• Currently taking beta blockers or other chronotropic heart medication(s)
• Have a history of severe motion sickness
• Currently have nausea
• Currently experiencing seizures
• Are clinically unstable
• Have taken pain medications in the last 12 hours

Trial design

Primary purpose: Other

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Crossover Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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185 participants in 2 patient groups

Ice bath Control then VR/AR

Experimental group

Description:

Participants will be randomized with a 1:1 allocation to use their dominant or non-dominant hand with VR or control (no VR) for the cold pressor test and then crossed over. Participants will not be told of the specifics of the time limit, to avoid competitiveness and expectations and will be asked for pain scores every 30 seconds.

Treatment:

Other: Ice Bath

Device: VR/AR

Ice bath with VR/AR then Control

Experimental group

Description:

Participants will be randomized with a 1:1 allocation to use their dominant or non-dominant hand with VR or control (no VR) for the cold pressor test and then crossed over. Participants will not be told of the specifics of the time limit, to avoid competitiveness and expectations and will be asked for pain scores every 30 seconds.

Treatment:

Other: Ice Bath

Device: VR/AR