Virtual Reality Analgesia for Brief Thermal Pain

University of Washington48 enrolled

Overview

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

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.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

BASIC_SCIENCE

Masking

SINGLE

Enrollment

Conditions

Pain, Acute

Interventions

virtual reality gameBEHAVIORAL

participants interact with a computer generated world

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 18 YearsHealthy volunteers:

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

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.

Locations (1)

University of Washington (only Psych students eligible, public not eligible for participation)

Seattle, Washington, United States

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Worst pain, baseline, participant's rating of "worst pain" during baseline measure

Baseline, Worst pain rating using a single graphic rating scale, 0 = no pain, 10 = excruciating pain

Time frame: Immediately after a single 10 second test (no more than 10 minutes before the subsequent test stiim)

participant's rating of "worst pain" during test phase

Test phase, Worst pain rating using a single graphic rating scale, 0 = no pain, 10 = excruciating pain

Time frame: Immediately after each single 10 second test stimulus (< 10 minutes after baseline pain rating)

Secondary Outcomes

Baseline, participants rating of "time spent thinking about pain"

Baseline Time thinking, Single a single graphic rating scale, 0 = none of the time, 10 = all of the time

Time frame: Immediately after a single 10 second test (no more than 10 minutes before the subsequent test stiim)

Test Phase, participants rating of "time spent thinking about pain" during test phase

Test phase, Time rating, using a single graphic rating scale, 0 = none of the time, 10 = all of the time

Time frame: Immediately after each single 10 second test stimulus (< 10 minutes after baseline pain rating)

Baseline, participants rating of "pain unpleasantness"

Baseline, Unpleasant rating, using single graphic rating scale, 0 = not unpleasant at all, 10 = excruciatingly unpleasant

Time frame: Immediately after a single 10 second test (no more than 10 minutes before the subsequent test stiim)

Test phase, participants rating of "pain unpleasantness" during test phase

Test phase, pain unpleasantness, 0 = not unpleasant at all, 10 = excruciatingly unpleasant

Data from ClinicalTrials.gov

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