Pain AcuteNCT07192822
Magic Bowl Virtual Reality Analgesia
A study testing Virtual Reality distraction, No Virtual Reality and One brief pain stimulus in people with Pain Acute, run by University of Washington at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
Participants will rate how much pain they experience during several brief thermal stimulations at painful but tolerable temperatures participants pre-approve. During some of the stimuli participants will be in virtual reality, and during some stimuli participants will not be in VR. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and olderHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Pain Acute
- What is being tested?
- Virtual Reality distraction, No Virtual Reality and One brief pain stimulus
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
- How many people
- 24 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 18 Feb 2025to 29 May 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 how 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., 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,
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
About this study
Official title: Using Immersive Virtual Reality to Reduce Brief Pain During Thermal Heat Stimuli
Participants will rate how much pain they experience during several brief thermal stimulations at painful but tolerable temperatures participants pre-approve. During some of the stimuli participants will be in virtual reality, and during some stimuli participants will not be in VR. Sometimes participants will receive two brief stimuli at the same time.
Read the detailed description
During VR, participants will put their cyberhand into a bowl of animated water and will place virtual objects in the bowl and stir the virtual water. Participants will also receive several brief thermal heat stimulations at a temperature of their choice (sometimes one stimulus, sometimes two simultaneous stimuli). During some of the stimuli participants will be in virtual reality, and some stimuli will not be in VR.
- Conditions
- Pain Acute
- Being tested
- Virtual Reality distraction, No Virtual Reality, One brief pain stimulus, Two simultaneous brief thermal stimuli
- Keywords
- virtual reality analgesia, pain, distraction, attention
- Medical subject headings
- Acute Pain, Pain
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Virtual Reality distractionBehavioural
Participants goes into an immersive virtual reality during a brief painful stimulus
No Virtual RealityBehavioural
Participant receives a brief thermal stimulus during no treatment
One brief pain stimulusBehavioural
patient receives one brief pain stimulus with no simultaneous second stimulus
Two simultaneous brief thermal stimuliBehavioural
Participants receive two brief thermal stimuli at the same time
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| One thermal stimulus | Active comparator | participants receives a single brief thermal stimulus Receives: Behavioral: One brief pain stimulus |
| two thermal stimuli | Experimental | participant receives two brief thermal stimuli at the same time Receives: Behavioral: Two simultaneous brief thermal stimuli |
| immersive virtual reality | Active comparator | participant receives a brief thermal stimulus while in virtual reality Receives: Behavioral: Virtual Reality distraction |
| No VR | Sham comparator | brief thermal stimulus during no VR Receives: Behavioral: No Virtual Reality |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
worst pain during one stimulus vs during two simultaneous stimuli
graphic rating scale of worst pain intensity measured after one brief thermal pain stimuli, minimum = 0, maximum = 10, and measured again after two simultaenous thermal pain stimuli. In both cases, higher scores mean worse outcome
Measured: measured immediately after each pain stimulus
Secondary outcomes (1)
worst pain during No VR vs worst pain during Virtual Reality
graphic rating scale of worst pain intensity measured after one brief thermal pain stimulus with no VR, minimum = 0, maximum = 10, and measured again after one thermal pain stimuli during virtual reality. In both cases, higher scores mean worse outcome
Measured: measured immediately after each pain stimulus
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted25 Sep 2025
- Study start18 Feb 2025
- Primary completion29 May 2025
- Study completion29 May 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 Pain AcuteStudies 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
- 24 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
- NCT07192822
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- VRAnalgesia2026
- Status last verified
- Jan 2026
- First submitted
- 3 Sep 2025
- Last updated
- 7 Jan 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Yes: de-identified aggregated summary statistics will be provided by the principle investigator upon reasonable request
Publications
Al-Ghamdi NA, Meyer WJ 3rd, Atzori B, Alhalabi W, Seibel CC, Ullman D, Hoffman HG. Virtual Reality Analgesia With Interactive Eye Tracking During Brief Thermal Pain Stimuli: A Randomized Controlled Trial (Crossover Design). Front Hum Neurosci. 2020 Jan 23;13:467. doi: 10.3389/fnhum.2019.00467. eCollection 2019.
PubMed 32038200
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 7 Jan 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Using Immersive Virtual Reality to Reduce Brief Pain During Thermal Heat Stimuli
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07192822
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- VRAnalgesia2026
- Conditions
- Pain Acute
- Keywords
- virtual reality analgesia, pain, distraction, attention
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 24 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- University of WashingtonUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 18 Feb 2025 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 29 May 2025 (actual)
- Study completion
- 29 May 2025 (actual)
- First posted
- 25 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.
Participants will rate how much pain they experience during several brief thermal stimulations at painful but tolerable temperatures participants pre-approve. During some of the stimuli participants will be in virtual reality, and during some stimuli participants will not be in VR. Sometimes participants will receive two brief stimuli at the same time.
Detailed description
During VR, participants will put their cyberhand into a bowl of animated water and will place virtual objects in the bowl and stir the virtual water. Participants will also receive several brief thermal heat stimulations at a temperature of their choice (sometimes one stimulus, sometimes two simultaneous stimuli). During some of the stimuli participants will be in virtual reality, and some stimuli will not be in VR.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Basic science
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Crossover
- Masking
- Single blind (participant)
- Number of arms
- 4
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| One thermal stimulus | Active comparator | Behavioral: One brief pain stimulusparticipants receives a single brief thermal stimulus |
| two thermal stimuli | Experimental | Behavioral: Two simultaneous brief thermal stimuliparticipant receives two brief thermal stimuli at the same time |
| immersive virtual reality | Active comparator | Behavioral: Virtual Reality distractionparticipant receives a brief thermal stimulus while in virtual reality |
| No VR | Sham comparator | Behavioral: No Virtual Realitybrief thermal stimulus during no VR |
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 (8 listed)
- People how 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., 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Reality distractionParticipants goes into an immersive virtual reality during a brief painful stimulus | Behavioural | immersive virtual reality |
| No Virtual RealityParticipant receives a brief thermal stimulus during no treatment | Behavioural | No VR |
| One brief pain stimuluspatient receives one brief pain stimulus with no simultaneous second stimulus | Behavioural | One thermal stimulus |
| Two simultaneous brief thermal stimuliParticipants receive two brief thermal stimuli at the same time | Behavioural | two thermal stimuli |
Primary outcome
worst pain during one stimulus vs during two simultaneous stimuli
Time frame: measured immediately after each pain stimulus
graphic rating scale of worst pain intensity measured after one brief thermal pain stimuli, minimum = 0, maximum = 10, and measured again after two simultaenous thermal pain stimuli. In both cases, higher scores mean worse outcome
1 secondary outcome
worst pain during No VR vs worst pain during Virtual Reality
Time frame: measured immediately after each pain 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 7 Jan 2026.
- Background: PubMed 32038200Al-Ghamdi NA, Meyer WJ 3rd, Atzori B, Alhalabi W, Seibel CC, Ullman D, Hoffman HG. Virtual Reality Analgesia With Interactive Eye Tracking During Brief Thermal Pain Stimuli: A Randomized Controlled Trial (Crossover Design). Front Hum Neurosci. 2020 Jan 23;13:467. doi: 10.3389/fnhum.2019.00467. eCollection 2019.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Yes. de-identified aggregated summary statistics will be provided by the principle investigator upon reasonable request
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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 Virtual Reality distraction, No Virtual Reality and One brief pain stimulus in people with Pain Acute, 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 8 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 7 Jan 2026. 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?
worst pain during one stimulus vs during two simultaneous stimuli (time frame: measured immediately after each pain stimulus). 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 NCT07192822, 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 7 Jan 2026.