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Virtual Reality Analgesia for Brief Thermal Pain

University of Washington logo

University of Washington

Status

Completed

Conditions

Pain, Acute

Treatments

Behavioral: virtual reality game

Study type

Interventional

Funder types

Other

Identifiers

NCT05130307
STUDY00013916

Details and patient eligibility

About

Using immersive virtual reality as a form of pain distraction during a brief "painful but tolerable" temperature.

Full description

This study will use Quantitative Sensory Testing (computer-controlled brief 10 second thermal pain stimuli) in healthy college students.

The primary aim is to conduct a randomized, controlled study with healthy volunteers to explore whether interacting with virtual objects in VR via a highly immersive VR system makes VR significantly more effective/powerful compared to a less immersive VR system, vs. No VR, for reducing pain during quantitative sensory testing.

Enrollment

48 patients

Sex

All

Ages

18+ years old

Volunteers

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

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
  • 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 The following temporary inclusion/exclusion criterion will exist only as long as required or appropriate for COVID pandemic conditions.

COVID-19 precautions. Vaccinated: Individuals are considered fully vaccinated 2 weeks after the second dose in a 2-dose series (e.g., Pfizer or Moderna) or 2 weeks after a single-dose vaccine (e.g., Johnson & Johnson).

All students and researchers must wear masks at all times during the study, and participants and researchers must provide proof of full vaccination for full participation.

If participants do not have proof of vaccination or are unvaccinated, they are still free to sign up for the study. They are invited. They can still earn the extra credit by reading educational materials, in person, during their scheduled time slot. If unvaccinated, or if they have no proof of vaccination, we request that students provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test from the UW test site at the faculty lounge, dated within 24 hours of the study (non-vaccinated students need a recent negative COVID-19 test from the UW before participating in the non-VR educational materials option.

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,
  • Seizure history,
  • Unusual sensitivity or lack of sensitivity to pain,
  • Sensitive skin,
  • Sensitive feet
  • Migraines
  • Diabetes

The following temporary inclusion/exclusion criterion will exist only as long as required or appropriate for COVID pandemic conditions.

COVID-19 precautions. Vaccinated: Individuals are considered fully vaccinated 2 weeks after the second dose in a 2-dose series (e.g., Pfizer or Moderna) or 2 weeks after a single-dose vaccine (e.g., Johnson & Johnson).

All students and researchers must wear masks at all times during the study, and participants and researchers must provide proof of full vaccination for full participation.

If participants do not have proof of vaccination or are unvaccinated, they are still free to sign up for the study. They are invited. They can still earn the extra credit by reading educational materials, in person, during their scheduled time slot. If unvaccinated, or if they have no proof of vaccination, we request that students provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test from the UW test site at the faculty lounge, dated within 24 hours of the study.

Trial design

Primary purpose

Basic Science

Allocation

Randomized

Interventional model

Crossover Assignment

Masking

Single Blind

48 participants in 2 patient groups

Treatment Order 1
Experimental group
Description:
Treatment order 1: Low Tech (less interactive) Virtual Reality for 1st pain stimulus+ High Tech for 2nd pain stimulus
Treatment:
Behavioral: virtual reality game
Treatment Order 2
Active Comparator group
Description:
Treatment order 2: High Tech VR (more interactive) for 1st pain stimulus + Low Tech for 2nd pain stimulus.
Treatment:
Behavioral: virtual reality game

Trial contacts and locations

1

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Data sourced from clinicaltrials.gov

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