The Effect of Virtual Reality on Pain and Memory.

University of Washington16 enrolled

Overview

The effect of Virtual Reality on pain and memory.

The primary outcome measure was the participants' accuracy of remembering the pattern of a total of five pain stimuli per set. Using the Quantitative Sensory Testing "method of limits", each participant selected a temperature they found "painful but tolerable" that they were willing to receive several more times, later in the study. They then received a sequence of five brief stimuli to their wrist, with a brief inter-stimulus interval between each stimulus.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

BASIC_SCIENCE

Masking

SINGLE

Enrollment

Conditions

Healthy Adult

Interventions

distractionBEHAVIORAL

distraction via virtual reality game named "Waltz of the Wizards" aka magic bowl.

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 18 YearsHealthy volunteers:

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * must be English speaking (but English does not necessarily need to be native/first language). * must be willing to follow our UW approved instructions, Exclusion Criteria: * Not capable of indicating pain intensity * Not capable of filling out study measures * Non-English-speaking * Extreme susceptibility to motion sickness * Seizure history * Unusual sensitivity or lack of sensitivity to pain * Sensitive skin * sensitive feet * migraines * cold symptoms * Diabetes * Or if you are under 18 years old

Locations (1)

University of Washington

Seattle, Washington, United States

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Pain Memory Recall Test

After each brief thermal stimulus set, participants were asked to recall the exact pattern of the most recent sequence of 5 brief thermal stimuli, recalled in exact order, via our five question "pain memory recall test" (min = 0%, max -= 100% correct). Lower % correct scores mean less accurate memory (poorer outcome).

Time frame: After each brief pain stimulus set, participants performed a brief distractor task before completing the Pain Memory Recall Test. The Pain Memory Recall Test was completed within 5 minutes after each brief thermal stimulus set.

Participants subjective rating of the accuracy of their memory for painful stimuli

Using a graphic rating scale, on a scale from zero (min) to 10 (max), participants rated how accurately they could remember their pain during No Virtual Reality vs during Virtual Reality. Higher scores indicated higher accuracy and more positive outcome.

Time frame: measured within 10 minutes after each pain stimulus set

Secondary Outcomes

Presence ratings using Graphic Rating Scales

Participants rated their illusion of "being there" in the computer generated world, as if it was a place they were visiting, on a scale from zero to 10, where zero = none at all and 10 = "completely there".

Time frame: measured within 10 minutes after participant was in virtual reality

Data from ClinicalTrials.gov

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