Measuring Attention During Immersive Virtual Reality Distraction

NCT06615245 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: UWashington
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 36
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Brief Summary Using a repeated measures within-subject design with treatment order randomized, with healthy volunteers, this study will measure how much immersive Virtual Reality (VR) reduces performance on a simple attention demanding task during No VR vs. High Tech VR (for one group of 16 participants), and during a plausible control see through VR vs. High Tech VR (for another group of 20 participants). The primary aim is to explore whether a highly immersive VR system makes VR significantly more attention demanding/distracting, compared to No VR, and compared to a less immersive VR system (a plausible controlled see through goggles).

Conditions

Distraction

Keywords

virtual reality; distraction

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• accuracy on an attention demanding cognitive test

  Number of correct responses on a divided attention task

  for n = 16, responses will be made 15 seconds after the VR condition vs. 15 seconds after the No VR during 2 minute sessions. For n = 20 subjects responses will be made 15 s after the plausible control condition, and 15 seconds after the immersive VR.

Secondary Outcomes (2)

• graphic rating scale presence ratings

  measured immediately after each two minute VR session.

• graphic rating scale subjective pain ratings

  immediately after each brief Quantitative Sensory Testing thermal heat stimulus

Other Outcomes (1)

• Graphic Rating Scale Difficulty performing the task and difficulty concentrating

  immediately after each 2 minute session

Study Arms (2)

n = 16 participants: No VR condition vs. Immersive VR

SHAM COMPARATOR

Participants will perform a simple attention demanding task during No VR for 2 minutes, and again during a Immersive High Tech Virtual Reality game distraction. They will also rate how distracted they were and how hard it was to concentrate on the attention demanding task during each 2 minute task.

Behavioral: No VR vs. immersive high tech VR

n = 20 participants: plausible control (see through VR) condition vs. immersive High Tech VR

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

20 healthy volunteer participants will perform a simple attention demanding task during a plausible control (see through) VR for 2 minutes, and again during an immersive High Tech Virtual Reality distraction (treatment order randomized). They will also rate how distracted they were and how hard it was to concentrate on the attention demanding task during the 2 minute tasks. During Phase 2 they will also rate their pain and anxiety during a brief thermal stimulus Quantitative Sensory Testing) during No VR vs. during immersive High Tech VR.

Behavioral: Plausible control vs immersive High Tech VR

Interventions

No VR vs. immersive high tech VR BEHAVIORAL

No VR vs. immersive High Tech VR

n = 16 participants: No VR condition vs. Immersive VR

Plausible control vs immersive High Tech VR BEHAVIORAL

plausible control condition vs. immersive high tech VR

n = 20 participants: plausible control (see through VR) condition vs. immersive High Tech VR

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Currently enrolled in a course at the University of Washington Psychology Dept., participating in the University of Washington (UW) Psychology subject pool
• Able to read, write and comprehend English
• Able to complete study measures
• Willing to follow our UW approved instructions
• years of age or older

You may not qualify if:

• People who 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., not 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

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Hunter Hoffman: lead

Study Sites (1)

University of Washington

Seattle, Washington, 98195, United States

Location

Study Officials

• Hunter G Hoffman, Ph.D.

  University of Washington

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: DOUBLE
• Who Masked: PARTICIPANT, OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Masking Details: Each participant will eventually get to try virtual reality, but participants will not be informed that some people receive a more immersive virtual reality than other people. In other words, participants will remain blind to the high tech vs. Low tech VR manipulation.
• Purpose: BASIC SCIENCE
• Intervention Model: CROSSOVER
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Director, Principle Investigator, Sr. Research Scientist

Model Details: within subject repeated measures design with treatment order randomized

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: September 23, 2024
• First Posted: September 26, 2024
• Study Start: October 1, 2024
• Primary Completion: November 24, 2024
• Study Completion: November 24, 2024
• Last Updated: December 6, 2024

Record last verified: 2024-09

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will share
• Time Frame: data set and data dictionary will be available indefinitely, beginning when the paper is officially published
• Access Criteria: Researchers who provide a methodologically sound proposal (e.g, for meta-analysis).

Locations

US (1)