At a glance
ClinicalIndex Comparison RecordStandardized by ClinicalIndex from the ClinicalTrials.gov record · verify against the source.
Effects of Social Presence and Perception in Virtual Reality on Pain
In Brief
A clinical study evaluating Near Non-Social, Near Social, and 2 other interventions for Chronic Pain, Widespread. Completed, enrolled 105 participants across 1 site.
Detailed Summary
This experiment aims to examine the effects of transportation via social presence in "near" and "far" virtual environments, on pain threshold in two groups: 1. healthy volunteers in an induced pain task, and 2. older adults suffering from pain. In the first, pilot group, a within-subjects study, participants will complete a series of induced-pain heat ramps in virtual environments that are "near" or "far"-in other words, they will either duplicate their actual physical environment, or represent another location. A second factor in this experiment will be mediated social presence, in which participants interact with confederates as avatars in either condition. The hypotheses follow: H1: Participants who feel present in a remote location will have a higher pain tolerance than those in a near location. H2: Participants who feel socially present with a confederate will have a higher pain tolerance than those who are alone in a virtual environment. H3: There will be an interaction between social presence and virtual environment such that participants who feel socially present in a remote location will have the highest pain tolerance overall. Building on these results,the next step will be a long-term study on older adult pain patients. In this step, the most successful condition in the first study to lightweight, portable headsets that can be used outside of the lab environment. This intervention will be tested on older adult patients who are suffering from chronic pain.
Study Details
Timeline
Interventions
Participants will be stably seated, and observed by a research assistant, as they complete an induced pain threshold task while they experience a virtual environment that reproduces the room in which they are seated.
Participants will be stably seated, and observed by a research assistant, as they complete an induced pain threshold task while they experience a virtual environment that reproduces the room in which they are seated, and converse with a confederate represented by an avatar.
Participants will be stably seated, and observed by a research assistant, as they complete an induced pain threshold task while they experience a virtual environment that reproduces a different room.
Participants will be stably seated, and observed by a research assistant, as they complete an induced pain threshold task while they experience a virtual environment that reproduces another room, and converse with a confederate represented by an avatar.