Virtual Reality Viewing of Unaltered Streetscape Versus Digitally Manipulated Opposite Streetscape to Assess Psychosocial Response in Participants

The Ohio State University

Status: Begins enrollment this month

Conditions: Psychiatric Disorder; Hematopoietic and Lymphatic System Neoplasm; Malignant Solid Neoplasm

Treatments: Other: Virtual Technology Intervention; Other: Survey Administration

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT07216534

NCI-2025-07331 (Registry Identifier)

OSU-25170

Details and patient eligibility

About

This clinical trial compares virtual reality viewing of an unaltered streetscape versus a digitally manipulated opposite streetscape to assess the psychosocial response in participants. Visible measures of neighborhood factors might be associated with health outcomes and risk factors of those outcomes. Short-term exposure to virtual reality environments representing very high or very low levels of neighborhood physical disorder - presence or absence of garbage/litter, presence or absence of graffiti, presence or absence of an abandoned building, presence or absence of large dumpsters, poor or very well-kept building conditions, poor or very well-kept yard conditions, poor or very well-kept road verge conditions may be a safe and effective way to assess psychosocial response in participants.

Full description

PRIMARY OBJECTIVES:

I. Compare sympathetic autonomic measures (heart rate variability and skin conductance) between participants viewing, in virtual reality, their streetscape as a digitally manipulated opposite version with respect to physical disorder indicators versus participants viewing their streetscape as a digital twin with respect to physical disorder indicators.

II. Compare self-report measures (Self-Assessment Manikin and state anxiety ratings) between participants viewing, in virtual reality, their streetscape as a digitally manipulated opposite version with respect to physical disorder indicators versus participants viewing their streetscape as a digital twin with respect to physical disorder indicators.

III. Record side effects of interacting within a virtual reality environment over short periods of time (3-5 min):

IIIa. Quantify frequency of side effects; IIIb. Explore whether side effects increase across subsequent VR sessions of the cross-over study; IIIc. Explore whether side effects vary by VR intervention arm (digital twin of own streetscape or digitally manipulated opposite indicators of physical disorder of own streetscape).

IV. Analyze impact of covariates on study outcomes.

EXPLORATORY OBJECTIVES:

I. Compare eye gaze density between participants viewing, in virtual reality, their streetscape as a digitally manipulated opposite version with respect to physical disorder indicators versus participants viewing their streetscape as a digital twin with respect to physical disorder indicators.

II. Compare self-report measures (neighborhood social cohesion and neighborhood disorder) between participants viewing, in virtual reality, their streetscape as a digitally manipulated opposite version with respect to physical disorder indicators versus participants viewing their streetscape as a digital twin with respect to physical disorder indicators.

OUTLINE: Participants are randomized within their residing neighborhood to 1 of 2 arms.

ARM I: Participants have their streetscape photographed. Participants view a standard residential streetscape using virtual reality (VR) for up to 5 minutes. Patients then view a digital twin of their streetscape with identical physical disorder using VR for up to 5 minutes followed by viewing their streetscape with the opposite physical disorder using VR for up to 5 minutes.

ARM II: Participants have their streetscape photographed. Participants view a standard residential streetscape using VR for up to 5 minutes. Patients then view their streetscape with the opposite physical disorder using VR for up to 5 minutes followed by viewing a digital twin of their streetscape with identical physical disorder using VR for up to 5 minutes.

Enrollment: 32 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Adults 18+
• Must currently live (4+ night/week) at the residence being studied. Only one resident per household will be selected
• Must understand and be able to read English
• Must agree to have residence photographed
• Must be able to wear a VR head mounted display
• Must live in neighborhood that has been selected for study
• Must be willing and able to attend an approximately 2 hour in-person visit on Ohio State University (OSU) campus

Exclusion criteria

• Pregnant women
• Visual or mobility impairment
• Cannot have epilepsy or other condition that would inhibit them from being able to use a VR headset

Trial design

Primary purpose: Prevention

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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32 participants in 2 patient groups

Arm I (twin followed by opposite streetscape)

Experimental group

Description:

Participants have their streetscape photographed. Participants view a standard residential streetscape using VR for up to 5 minutes. Patients then view a digital twin of their streetscape with identical physical disorder using VR for up to 5 minutes followed by viewing their streetscape with the opposite physical disorder using VR for up to 5 minutes.

Treatment:

Other: Virtual Technology Intervention

Other: Survey Administration

Other: Virtual Technology Intervention

Other: Virtual Technology Intervention

Arm II (opposite followed by twin streetscape)

Experimental group

Description:

Participants have their streetscape photographed. Participants view a standard residential streetscape using VR for up to 5 minutes. Patients then view their streetscape with the opposite physical disorder using VR for up to 5 minutes followed by viewing a digital twin of their streetscape with identical physical disorder using VR for up to 5 minutes.

Treatment:

Other: Virtual Technology Intervention

Other: Survey Administration

Other: Virtual Technology Intervention

Other: Virtual Technology Intervention