NCT05836038

VR, Visio-tactile Stimulation and Embodiment

Creating Embodiment in Virtual Reality: A Pilot Study Evaluating Visio-tactile Stimulation and Feasibility

• Status: Withdrawn
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 0 (actual)
• Sponsor: Tufts University · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

Investigators will evaluate the feasibility of "puppeting" a virtual hand with the opposite hand in increasing complex movements and the effect of visio-tactile stimuli on embodiment to determine if it is a necessary part of the process.

Detailed description

Embodiment refers to a subjective experience where a person views a simulated body and its properties are experienced as if they were the person's own biological body (1). Embodiment is notably seen in the rubber hand illusion (2): a rubber hand is made to substitute for the real hand using visio-tactile stimulation to connect the rubber hand to the participant. In visio-tactile stimulation, the real hand is hidden from view and the rubber hand is positioned where the real hand should be. Both hands are simultaneously stroked while the participant views the rubber hand. Within a short time, the rubber hand "feels" touch and pain, independent of the real hand. In this study investigators will evaluate the ability to enable embodiment in a virtual reality environment. After providing background information, participants will then complete the "Real Hand Session" of the Study Protocol (See below) using their real hand to move the same side virtual hand (e.g. left real hand movements will move left virtual hand). Participants will complete Usability and Embodiment /Presence surveys After the Actual Protocol, participants in the VTS group will receive visio-tactile stimuli. They will see their virtual hand touched while simultaneously feel their opposite real hand touched in the same pattern. Participants in the NoVTS will spend the same amount of time looking at their virtual hand without the touching (\~1 minute). For the "Puppet Session" participants will complete the same tasks as the "Real Hand Session"(See Below) but movement of the real hand will "puppet" the opposite virtual hand (right real hand movements will move left virtual hand). After completing the session participants will complete Usability and Embodiment /Presence surveys Study Protocol Sessions.(20 to 30 minutes). All take place in the virtual environment Hand Movement- Press a 36-button sequence 4x Bilateral Task - "Catch" 36 "fireflies" with both hands 4x. Unilateral Task - "Catch 36 "fireflies" with one hand 4x. Avoidance Task - Press a 36-button sequence. A "dangerous" virtual obstacle (e.g., sawblade) will be placed in the path of the virtual hand during some of the trajectories. Investigators will see how far from the most efficient trajectory participants moves to avoid the object Hypotheses H1: Participants will demonstrate a greater sense of embodiment with visio-tactile stimuli (VTS) than without visio-tactile stimuli (NoVTS) H1a: Participants in the VTS group will report higher levels of embodiment than those in the NoVTS group. H1b: Participants will demonstrate significantly better motor performance in the VTS group than the NoVTS group. H1c: Participants in the VTS group will demonstrate greater avoidance of "dangerous items" than those in the NoVTS group H1d: Participants in the VTS group will report better usability of the embodied virtual hand than those in the NoVTS group. H2: Motor Performance of the "Puppeted" virtual hand will be similar to the "Actual" virtual hand.

Conditions

• Healthy

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Visio-Tactile Stimulation	They will see their virtual hand touched while simultaneously feel their opposite real hand touched in the same pattern.

Timeline

• Start date: 2024-10-01
• Primary completion: 2025-04-30
• Completion: 2025-10-31
• First posted: 2023-05-01
• Last updated: 2026-03-06