NCT05836649

Impact of Passive VR Versus Active VR on Heat Pain Thresholds and Pressure Pain Thresholds

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 265 (actual)
• Sponsor: Stanford University · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 99 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

This is a prospective, crossover study of healthy participants evaluating the impact of passive vs. active virtual reality (VR) games on heat pain threshold (HPT) and pressure pain threshold (PPT).

Detailed description

Virtual reality (VR) is an emerging, non-pharmaceutical intervention used to reduce perceived pain and anxiety in patients. VR's effect on pain and anxiety on patients is well-studied as is how VR games improve recalled pain and anxiety in pediatric burn and bone-fracture patients undergoing painful medical procedures. However, how differences in VR application construction (such as passive play vs. active play) impact patient perception of pain and anxiety is not well understood. In this study, we will measure the impact of passive vs. active VR applications on heat pain threshold (HPT) and pressure pain threshold (PPT), and immediate vs. recalled pain and anxiety levels.

Conditions

• Pain
• Anxiety

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Oculus Go headset without active intervention	VR software with non-interactive content. Heat pain threshold (HPT) and pressure pain threshold (PPT) depends on the HPT limits test or PPT limits test.
BEHAVIORAL	Oculus Go headset with active intervention	Participant will engage with the game display on the VR headset. Heat pain threshold (HPT) and pressure pain threshold (PPT) depends on the HPT limits test or PPT limits test.
BEHAVIORAL	Oculus Go headset without immersive virtual reality experience	VR headset does not display any immersive virtual reality content. Heat pain threshold (HPT) and pressure pain threshold (PPT) depends on the HPT limits test or PPT limits test.
BEHAVIORAL	Oculus Go headset with immersive virtual reality experience	VR headset displays immersive virtual reality content. Heat pain threshold (HPT) and pressure pain threshold (PPT) depends on the HPT limits test or PPT limits test.

Timeline

• Start date: 2023-08-04
• Primary completion: 2024-01-03
• Completion: 2024-01-03
• First posted: 2023-05-01
• Last updated: 2026-01-15

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States