Magic Bowl Virtual Reality Analgesia

University of Washington

Status: Completed

Conditions: Pain Acute

Treatments: Behavioral: Two simultaneous brief thermal stimuli; Behavioral: Virtual Reality distraction; Behavioral: One brief pain stimulus; Behavioral: No Virtual Reality

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT07192822

VRAnalgesia2026

Details and patient eligibility

About

Participants will rate how much pain they experience during several brief thermal stimulations at painful but tolerable temperatures participants pre-approve. During some of the stimuli participants will be in virtual reality, and during some stimuli participants will not be in VR. Sometimes participants will receive two brief stimuli at the same time.

Full description

During VR, participants will put their cyberhand into a bowl of animated water and will place virtual objects in the bowl and stir the virtual water. Participants will also receive several brief thermal heat stimulations at a temperature of their choice (sometimes one stimulus, sometimes two simultaneous stimuli). During some of the stimuli participants will be in virtual reality, and some stimuli will not be in VR.

Enrollment: 24 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion and exclusion criteria

Inclusion Criteria:Inclusion Criteria:

• Currently enrolled in a course at the University of Washington Psychology Dept., participating in the UW Psychology subject pool
• Able to read, write and comprehend English
• Able to complete study measures
• Willing to follow our UW approved instructions
• 18 years of age or older

Exclusion Criteria:

• People how have already previously participated in this same study (e.g., last quarter) are not eligible to participate again.
• Not enrolled in a course at the University of Washington Psychology Dept., participating in the UW Psychology subject pool
• Not be able to read, write and comprehend English
• Younger than 18 years of age.
• Not capable of completing measures
• Not capable of indicating pain intensity,
• Not capable of filling out study measures,
• Extreme susceptibility to motion sickness,

Trial design

Primary purpose: Basic Science

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Crossover Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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24 participants in 4 patient groups

One thermal stimulus

Active Comparator group

Description:

participants receives a single brief thermal stimulus

Treatment:

Behavioral: One brief pain stimulus

two thermal stimuli

Experimental group

Description:

participant receives two brief thermal stimuli at the same time

Treatment:

Behavioral: Two simultaneous brief thermal stimuli

immersive virtual reality

Active Comparator group

Description:

participant receives a brief thermal stimulus while in virtual reality

Treatment:

Behavioral: Virtual Reality distraction

No VR

Sham Comparator group

Description:

brief thermal stimulus during no VR

Treatment:

Behavioral: No Virtual Reality