The Effect of Virtual Reality on Pain and Memory.

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Healthy Adult

• Registration Number: NCT06871423
• Lead Sponsor: University of Washington

Brief Summary

The effect of Virtual Reality on pain and memory.

Detailed Description

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 Timeline

• Study Start: 2025-01-03
• Status Verified: 2025-03
• Primary Completion: 2025-03-01
• Study Completion: 2025-03-01
• Study First Submitted: 2025-03-01
• Study First Submitted QC: 2025-03-06
• Last Update Submitted: 2025-03-10
• Study First Posted: 2025-03-12
• Last Update Posted: 2025-03-13

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 16

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

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: CROSSOVER

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Pain Memory Recall Test	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.	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).
Participants subjective rating of the accuracy of their memory for painful stimuli	measured within 10 minutes after each pain stimulus set	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.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Presence ratings using Graphic Rating Scales	measured within 10 minutes after participant was in virtual reality	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".

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

University of Washington; 🇺🇸 Seattle, Washington, United States