Virtual Reality AmnesiaNCT07183839
The Effect of Immersive VR Distraction on Memory: Study 2
A study testing Immersive Virtual Reality in people with Virtual Reality Amnesia, run by University of Washington at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
This study measures how many words people can recall. Some words are studied/heard/learned while in immersive Virtual Reality, and some are studied/heard/learned while in a plausible control distraction. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and olderHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Virtual Reality Amnesia
- What is being tested?
- Immersive Virtual Reality
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
- How many people
- 20 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 31 May 2024to 11 Feb 2025
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 years and older
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Currently enrolled in a course at the University of Washington Psychology Dept., participating in the UW Psychology subject pool
- Able to read, write and comprehend English
- Able to complete study measures
- Willing to follow our UW approved instructions
- 18 years of age or older
Who cannot join
- 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,
Show all 14Show fewer
- 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
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
About this study
Official title: Immersive Virtual Reality Induces Procedural Analgesia, Anxiolysis and Anterograde Amnesia:A Randomized Controlled Study 2
This study measures how many words people can recall. Some words are studied/heard/learned while in immersive Virtual Reality, and some are studied/heard/learned while in a plausible control distraction.
Read the detailed description
In this Study (n=20), participants recalled word lists during a plausible semi-immersive control condition (passive Apple Vision Pro see-through mode) versus during interactive immersive VR. Participants also later received brief heat pain stimuli during No VR versus immersive VR and provided pain and anxiety and distraction ratings on 0-10 graphic rating scales.
- Conditions
- Virtual Reality Amnesia
- Being tested
- Immersive Virtual Reality, Plausible control condition
- Keywords
- immersive virtual reality distraction,, memory, see through VR
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Immersive Virtual RealityBehavioural
While wearing an immersive VR helmet, participants grabbed virtual objects andd put them into a bowl of virtual water, while memorizing a list of words from the real world.
Plausible control conditionBehavioural
Participant passively viewed the laboratory room they saw while wearing Apple Vision Pro goggles, while memorizing a list of words read to them from the real world.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| High Tech virtual reality | Experimental | Participants used their cyberhands to interact with virtual objects while in immersive virtual reality, while they listen to and memorize a list of 15 study words rea to them from the real world. Receives: Behavioral: Immersive Virtual Reality |
| Low Tech VR | Sham comparator | Participants wore an Apple Vision Pro VR goggles that allowed them to see the real world in their VR goggles, via video streaming from cameras mounted on the VR helmet, while memorizing a list of words they heard from the real world. Receives: Behavioral: Plausible control condition |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Word Recall accuracy
Number of study words recalled during an immediate recall task
Measured: begin 15 seconds after the last word
Subjective ratings of Distraction
Participants rated how distracted they were in each treatment condition
Measured: Measured immediately after the free recall of each word list.
Secondary outcomes (1)
During Phase 2, VR pain reduction was measured
graphic ratings of worst pain intensity and other GRS pain ratings during brief thermal stimulation
Measured: subjective pain ratings measured immediately after each brief thermal stimulus
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted19 Sep 2025
- Study start31 May 2024
- Primary completion11 Feb 2025
- Study completion11 Feb 2025
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (1)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for Virtual Reality AmnesiaStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by University of WashingtonThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Basic science
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Crossover
- Masking
- Single blind
- Who is masked
- Participant
- Enrolment
- 20 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University of Washington
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Hunter Hoffman, University of Washington
- Investigators
- Hunter Hoffman, PhD, Principal investigator, University of Washington
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07183839
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- VRAnalgesia2025b
- Status last verified
- Sep 2025
- First submitted
- 10 Sep 2025
- Last updated
- 24 Sep 2025
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Yes: De-identified summarized aggregated data will be available upon reasonable request.
Publications
Hoffman HG, Fontenot MR, Garcia-Palacios A, Greenleaf WJ, Alhalabi W, Curatolo M, Flor H. Adding tactile feedback increases avatar ownership and makes virtual reality more effective at reducing pain in a randomized crossover study. Sci Rep. 2023 May 22;13(1):7915. doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-31038-4.
PubMed 37217536
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 24 Sep 2025. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Immersive Virtual Reality Induces Procedural Analgesia, Anxiolysis and Anterograde Amnesia:A Randomized Controlled Study 2
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07183839
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- VRAnalgesia2025b
- Conditions
- Virtual Reality Amnesia
- Keywords
- immersive virtual reality distraction,, memory, see through VR
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 20 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- University of WashingtonUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 31 May 2024 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 11 Feb 2025 (actual)
- Study completion
- 11 Feb 2025 (actual)
- First posted
- 19 Sep 2025 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
This study measures how many words people can recall. Some words are studied/heard/learned while in immersive Virtual Reality, and some are studied/heard/learned while in a plausible control distraction.
Detailed description
In this Study (n=20), participants recalled word lists during a plausible semi-immersive control condition (passive Apple Vision Pro see-through mode) versus during interactive immersive VR. Participants also later received brief heat pain stimuli during No VR versus immersive VR and provided pain and anxiety and distraction ratings on 0-10 graphic rating scales.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Basic science
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Crossover
- Masking
- Single blind (participant)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| High Tech virtual reality | Experimental | Behavioral: Immersive Virtual RealityParticipants used their cyberhands to interact with virtual objects while in immersive virtual reality, while they listen to and memorize a list of 15 study words rea to them from the real world. |
| Low Tech VR | Sham comparator | Behavioral: Plausible control conditionParticipants wore an Apple Vision Pro VR goggles that allowed them to see the real world in their VR goggles, via video streaming from cameras mounted on the VR helmet, while memorizing a list of words they heard from the real world. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (5 listed)
- Currently enrolled in a course at the University of Washington Psychology Dept., participating in the UW Psychology subject pool
- Able to read, write and comprehend English
- Able to complete study measures
- Willing to follow our UW approved instructions
- 18 years of age or older
Key exclusion criteria (14 listed)
- 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
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Immersive Virtual RealityWhile wearing an immersive VR helmet, participants grabbed virtual objects andd put them into a bowl of virtual water, while memorizing a list of words from the real world. | Behavioural | High Tech virtual reality |
| Plausible control conditionParticipant passively viewed the laboratory room they saw while wearing Apple Vision Pro goggles, while memorizing a list of words read to them from the real world. | Behavioural | Low Tech VR |
Primary outcome
Word Recall accuracy
Time frame: begin 15 seconds after the last word
Number of study words recalled during an immediate recall task
Subjective ratings of Distraction
Time frame: Measured immediately after the free recall of each word list.
Participants rated how distracted they were in each treatment condition
1 secondary outcome
During Phase 2, VR pain reduction was measured
Time frame: subjective pain ratings measured immediately after each brief thermal stimulus
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 24 Sep 2025.
- Background: PubMed 37217536Hoffman HG, Fontenot MR, Garcia-Palacios A, Greenleaf WJ, Alhalabi W, Curatolo M, Flor H. Adding tactile feedback increases avatar ownership and makes virtual reality more effective at reducing pain in a randomized crossover study. Sci Rep. 2023 May 22;13(1):7915. doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-31038-4.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Yes. De-identified summarized aggregated data will be available upon reasonable request.
Related trials for Virtual Reality Amnesia
Active, not recruiting
Brain Health Virtual Reality Study
Aging, Aging Problems
Active, not recruiting
Remote Game-based Exercise Program for Cognitive and Motor Function Improvement
Mild Cognitive Impairment, Dementia
Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Hunter Hoffman, PhD principal investigator
University of Washington
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Immersive Virtual Reality in people with Virtual Reality Amnesia, run by University of Washington at 1 site in United States.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 5 inclusion and 14 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 24 Sep 2025. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. Some participants in this study may receive a placebo. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Word Recall accuracy (time frame: begin 15 seconds after the last word). The study lists 2 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT07183839, which also lists 1 linked publication.
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 24 Sep 2025.