Trier Social Stress Test in Virtual Reality
- Conditions
- Stress, PhysiologicalStress, Psychological
- Interventions
- Behavioral: Trier social stress test
- Registration Number
- NCT05830435
- Lead Sponsor
- University Medical Center Groningen
- Brief Summary
Background The Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) is a valid and gold standard way for inducing psychosocial stress and is widely used in research and diagnostics. One of the downsides of the TSST is the difficulty to maintain the same experimental conditions repeatedly. A TSST in virtual reality (TSST-VR) is constant and requires far less time and personnel. Our TSST-VR version consist of three stress levels (no stress, moderate stress, high stress), a novelty in this field.
Aim The aim is to investigate whether there is a statistically significantly greater increase directly after the TSST-VR in psychological and physiological stress parameters in the moderate and high stress levels compared to the no stress condition (control).
Method A randomized controlled trial is conducted in healthy adults, with the three stress levels as conditions. Cortisol and questionnaires on anxiety and physical arousal are measured at baseline, during and after the TSST. Heart rate is measured continuously and adverse events are monitored.
- Detailed Description
Not available
Recruitment & Eligibility
- Status
- RECRUITING
- Sex
- All
- Target Recruitment
- 55
- Healthy participants, not having a psychiatric diagnosis in the last three years or currently having an endocrine disorders
- Aged between 18 and 65 years
- Good understanding of the Dutch language
- Normal or corrected-to-normal vision and hearing
- History of photosensitive epilepsy
- Hearing loss
- Pregnant woman
- Women who breastfeed
- Taking heart rate altering medication such as beta-blockers.
Pregnant woman and woman who breastfeed are excluded because they have a different hormone levels which can intervene with the stress reaction.
Study & Design
- Study Type
- INTERVENTIONAL
- Study Design
- PARALLEL
- Arm && Interventions
Group Intervention Description TSST VR Friendly Trier social stress test - TSST VR Neutral Trier social stress test - TSST VR Unfriendly Trier social stress test -
- Primary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method Change of levels of physical stress, HRV continuously during the whole procedure, in total 75 minuten Change from baseline to 75 min
- Secondary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method Change of levels of psychological stress, state anxiety inventory STAI After 20 minutes waiting period, after the stress test (+15min), after another 20min waiting period, and after another 20min waiting period. Change from baseline to the last waiting period. 6 questions each scoring 1-4, with a total score of 24. A higher score indicates for more stress and anxiety.
Social phobia Baseline Social phobia scores measured by the Social Phobia Inventory
Sociodemographics baseline Age, gender, work
Change of levels of physical stress, cortisol After 20 minutes waiting period, after the stress test (+15min), after another 20min waiting period, and after another 20min waiting period. Change from baseline to the last waiting period
Speech fluency during the speech and math task, 10 minutes in total Speech fluency as recorded during the speech and math task
Change of levels of physical stress, Skin conductance continuously during the whole procedure, in total 75 minuten Galvanic Skin Conductance
Trial Locations
- Locations (1)
UMCG
🇳🇱Groningen, Netherlands
UMCG🇳🇱Groningen, Netherlands