Stress (Psychology)SAURONNCT07857239
Stress Through Audition: Uptake, Recovery, Oscillations During Nature Exposure
A study testing Natural soundscape auditory exposure and Urban soundscape auditory exposure in people with Stress (Psychology) and Environment, run by Hôpital le Vinatier.
Trial summary
The protocol the investigators propose aims to address certain gaps by developing a multimodal paradigm, based on: Induction of acute stress via the Maastricht Acute Stress Test (MAST), a standardised protocol recognised for its effectiveness in activating both the HPA axis and the autonomic nervous system. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 45 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Stress (Psychology), Environment
- What is being tested?
- Natural soundscape auditory exposure and Urban soundscape auditory exposure
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 60 participants
- Where
- No sites listed yet
- Study dates
- 30 Nov 2026to 30 Nov 2028
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
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 to 45 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult
Who may be able to join
- Men and women between 18 and 45 years of age inclusive;
- Informed about the study and having signed the consent form;
- With normal vision (with or without correction);
- Able to understand the experimental instructions;
- Covered by the French social security system;
- Proficient in spoken, read, and written French.
Who cannot join
- Having a vision or hearing impairment that could prevent the proper performance of tasks involving reading on a screen or paper and listening to auditory stimuli;
- Being a smoker;
- Having a somatic condition, particularly a neurological or endocrine disorder, or a circulatory disorder in the extremities (Raynaud's disease);
- Having or having had a personal or first-degree family history of diagnosed psychiatric disorders (according to Axis 1 of the criteria in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders - DSM-5);
- Taking medication (except for oral contraceptives);
- Being pregnant or breastfeeding;
- Being under a protective measure (guardianship, conservatorship, protective order, etc.)
Trial locations and contacts
No sites are listed yet. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
Frédéric Pr Frédéric Haesebaert, PhD contact
About this study
Official title: A Stress Study Through Auditory Soundscapes: Uptake, Recovery and Cerebral Oscillations During Nature Versus Urban Exposure
The protocol the investigators propose aims to address certain gaps by developing a multimodal paradigm, based on:
- Induction of acute stress via the Maastricht Acute Stress Test (MAST), a standardised protocol recognised for its effectiveness in activating both the HPA axis and the autonomic nervous system.
- A 10-minute auditory exposure to two types of soundscapes (natural vs urban), designed in accordance with ecological standards (recordings taken from real-world environments and featuring representative natural and anthropogenic sound components, with the aim of making the stimulus as close as possible to real-life experiences).
- A battery of synchronised, multimodal measurements, including hormonal measurements (salivary cortisol at 10 time points), continuous autonomic nervous system measurements (HR, HRV, BP), a high-density EEG and analysis via EEG Source Imaging (ESI), a battery of cognitive tests typically sensitive to stress (Continuous Visual Attention Task, N-back, Delay Discounting Task), and a light polysomnography study conducted at home to assess delayed effects on sleep.
Read more
This design will enable the investigators to examine, as comprehensively as possible, the dynamics of post-stress recovery across several levels of analysis (biological, cerebral, cognitive and behavioural). It will also enable the investigators to identify the specific effects of the sound environment on each of these levels. By cross-referencing neurophysiological, hormonal and behavioural responses, we hope to document how natural sound environments actively regulate stress and cognition and to explore the mechanisms involved.
This project could pave the way for applications in mental health, preventive neuroscience, acoustic urban planning and non-pharmacological interventions, by providing a rigorous scientific foundation to support recommendations for the design or management of stress in professional, educational or clinical settings.
- Conditions
- Stress (Psychology), Environment
- Being tested
- Natural soundscape auditory exposure, Urban soundscape auditory exposure
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Natural soundscape auditory exposureBehavioural
10-minute passive auditory exposure to a standardized natural soundscape assembled from real-world recordings normalized and characterized. Delivered via headphones in a seated, resting position immediately following MAST-induced acute stress. Single administration per participant
Urban soundscape auditory exposureBehavioural
10-minute passive auditory exposure to a standardized urban soundscape assembled from real-world recordings normalized and characterized. Delivered via headphones in a seated, resting position immediately following MAST-induced acute stress. Single administration per participant.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Participants exposed to the natural soundscape | Experimental | Participants undergo the Maastricht Acute Stress Test (MAST) to induce acute stress, followed by a 10-minute auditory exposure to a standardized natural soundscape delivered via headphones. Physiological (cortisol, HR, HRV, BP), cerebral (high-density EEG with source imaging), and cognitive measures are collected before and after the stress induction and the soundscape exposure. Receives: Behavioral: Natural soundscape auditory exposure |
| Participants exposed to the urban soundscape | Active comparator | Participants undergo the Maastricht Acute Stress Test (MAST) to induce acute stress, followed by a 10-minute auditory exposure to a standardized urban soundscape delivered via headphones. Physiological (cortisol, HR, HRV, BP), cerebral (high-density EEG with source imaging), and cognitive measures are collected before and after the stress induction and the soundscape exposure. Receives: Behavioral: Urban soundscape auditory exposure |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Change in salivary cortisol concentration following acute stress and a natural soundscape exposure.
Salivary cortisol will be measured as a biological marker of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activation, in response to an acute stress induction (MAST) followed by a 10-minute auditory exposure to a natural soundscape.
Measured: Day 1
Change in salivary cortisol concentration following acute stress and an urban soundscape exposure.
Salivary cortisol will be measured as a biological marker of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activation, in response to an acute stress induction (MAST) followed by a 10-minute auditory exposure to an urban soundscape.
Measured: Day 1
Secondary outcomes (6)
Post-stress cognitive performance across sustained attention task for the urban soundscape arm.
Cognitive performance assessed via computerized task: the Continuous Visual Attention Task (CVAT, sustained attention) for the urban soundscape arm.
Measured: Day 1
Post-stress cognitive performance across sustained attention task for the natural soundscape arm.
Cognitive performance assessed via computerized task: the Continuous Visual Attention Task (CVAT, sustained attention) for the natural soundscape arm.
Measured: Day 1
Post-stress cognitive performance across working memory task for the urban soundscape arm.
Cognitive performance assessed via computerized task: the N-back task (working memory) for the urban soundscape arm.
Measured: Day 1
Post-stress cognitive performance across working memory task for the natural soundscape arm.
Cognitive performance assessed via computerized task: the N-back task (working memory) for the natural soundscape arm.
Measured: Day 1
Post-stress cognitive performance across decision-making task for the urban soundscape arm.
Cognitive performance assessed via computerized task: the Delay Discounting Task (decision-making) for the urban soundscape arm.
Measured: Day 1
Post-stress cognitive performance across decision-making task for the natural soundscape arm.
Cognitive performance assessed via computerized task: the Delay Discounting Task (decision-making) for the natural soundscape arm.
Measured: Day 1
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted5 Oct 2026
- Study start30 Nov 2026 (estimated)
- Primary completion30 Nov 2028 (estimated)
- Study completion30 Nov 2028 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Stress (Psychology)Studies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by Hôpital le VinatierThe 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
- Parallel groups
- Model description
- Participants are assigned to one of two experimental arms: 10-minute auditory exposure to a natural soundscape or an urban soundscape, following induction of a standardized acute stress test (Maastricht Acute Stress Test, MAST). Physiological (salivary cortisol, HR, HRV, BP), cerebral (high-density EEG, EEG Source Imaging), and cognitive (CVAT, N-back, Delay Discounting Task) measurements are collected before and after sound exposure, allowing for inter-group comparison of post-stress recovery dynamics according to the type of sound environment. Delayed sleep monitoring using mild home polysomnography completes the assessment.
- Masking
- Double blind
- Who is masked
- Investigator, Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 60 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Hôpital le Vinatier
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07857239
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- PRVT-03
- Acronym
- SAURON
- Status last verified
- Sep 2026
- First submitted
- 16 Sep 2026
- Last updated
- 5 Oct 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- Yes
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 5 Oct 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- A Stress Study Through Auditory Soundscapes: Uptake, Recovery and Cerebral Oscillations During Nature Versus Urban Exposure
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07857239
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- SAURON / PRVT-03
- Conditions
- Stress (Psychology), Environment
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Not yet recruiting
- Enrolment
- 60 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Hôpital le VinatierUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 30 Nov 2026 (estimated)
- Primary completion
- 30 Nov 2028 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 30 Nov 2028 (estimated)
- First posted
- 5 Oct 2026 (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.
The protocol the investigators propose aims to address certain gaps by developing a multimodal paradigm, based on:
- Induction of acute stress via the Maastricht Acute Stress Test (MAST), a standardised protocol recognised for its effectiveness in activating both the HPA axis and the autonomic nervous system.
- A 10-minute auditory exposure to two types of soundscapes (natural vs urban), designed in accordance with ecological standards (recordings taken from real-world environments and featuring representative natural and anthropogenic sound components, with the aim of making the stimulus as close as possible to real-life experiences).
- A battery of synchronised, multimodal measurements, including hormonal measurements (salivary cortisol at 10 time points), continuous autonomic nervous system measurements (HR, HRV, BP), a high-density EEG and analysis via EEG Source Imaging (ESI), a battery of cognitive tests typically sensitive to stress (Continuous Visual Attention Task, N-back, Delay Discounting Task), and a light polysomnography study conducted at home to assess delayed effects on sleep.
This design will enable the investigators to examine, as comprehensively as possible, the dynamics of post-stress recovery across several levels of analysis (biological, cerebral, cognitive and behavioural). It will also enable the investigators to identify the specific effects of the sound environment on each of these levels. By cross-referencing neurophysiological, hormonal and behavioural responses, we hope to document how natural sound environments actively regulate stress and cognition and to explore the mechanisms involved.
This project could pave the way for applications in mental health, preventive neuroscience, acoustic urban planning and non-pharmacological interventions, by providing a rigorous scientific foundation to support recommendations for the design or management of stress in professional, educational or clinical settings.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Basic science
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Double blind (investigator, outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 2
- Model description
- Participants are assigned to one of two experimental arms: 10-minute auditory exposure to a natural soundscape or an urban soundscape, following induction of a standardized acute stress test (Maastricht Acute Stress Test, MAST). Physiological (salivary cortisol, HR, HRV, BP), cerebral (high-density EEG, EEG Source Imaging), and cognitive (CVAT, N-back, Delay Discounting Task) measurements are collected before and after sound exposure, allowing for inter-group comparison of post-stress recovery dynamics according to the type of sound environment. Delayed sleep monitoring using mild home polysomnography completes the assessment.
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Participants exposed to the natural soundscape | Experimental | Behavioral: Natural soundscape auditory exposureParticipants undergo the Maastricht Acute Stress Test (MAST) to induce acute stress, followed by a 10-minute auditory exposure to a standardized natural soundscape delivered via headphones. Physiological (cortisol, HR, HRV, BP), cerebral (high-density EEG with source imaging), and cognitive measures are collected before and after the stress induction and the soundscape exposure. |
| Participants exposed to the urban soundscape | Active comparator | Behavioral: Urban soundscape auditory exposureParticipants undergo the Maastricht Acute Stress Test (MAST) to induce acute stress, followed by a 10-minute auditory exposure to a standardized urban soundscape delivered via headphones. Physiological (cortisol, HR, HRV, BP), cerebral (high-density EEG with source imaging), and cognitive measures are collected before and after the stress induction and the soundscape exposure. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 45 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult
Key inclusion criteria (6 listed)
- Men and women between 18 and 45 years of age inclusive;
- Informed about the study and having signed the consent form;
- With normal vision (with or without correction);
- Able to understand the experimental instructions;
- Covered by the French social security system;
Key exclusion criteria (7 listed)
- Having a vision or hearing impairment that could prevent the proper performance of tasks involving reading on a screen or paper and listening to auditory stimuli;
- Being a smoker;
- Having a somatic condition, particularly a neurological or endocrine disorder, or a circulatory disorder in the extremities (Raynaud's disease);
- Having or having had a personal or first-degree family history of diagnosed psychiatric disorders (according to Axis 1 of the criteria in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders - DSM-5);
- Taking medication (except for oral contraceptives);
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Natural soundscape auditory exposure10-minute passive auditory exposure to a standardized natural soundscape assembled from real-world recordings normalized and characterized. Delivered via headphones in a seated, resting position immediately following MAST-induced acute stress. Single administration per participant | Behavioural | Participants exposed to the natural soundscape |
| Urban soundscape auditory exposure10-minute passive auditory exposure to a standardized urban soundscape assembled from real-world recordings normalized and characterized. Delivered via headphones in a seated, resting position immediately following MAST-induced acute stress. Single administration per participant. | Behavioural | Participants exposed to the urban soundscape |
Primary outcome
Change in salivary cortisol concentration following acute stress and a natural soundscape exposure.
Time frame: Day 1
Salivary cortisol will be measured as a biological marker of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activation, in response to an acute stress induction (MAST) followed by a 10-minute auditory exposure to a natural soundscape.
Change in salivary cortisol concentration following acute stress and an urban soundscape exposure.
Time frame: Day 1
Salivary cortisol will be measured as a biological marker of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activation, in response to an acute stress induction (MAST) followed by a 10-minute auditory exposure to an urban soundscape.
6 secondary outcomes
Post-stress cognitive performance across sustained attention task for the urban soundscape arm.
Time frame: Day 1
Post-stress cognitive performance across sustained attention task for the natural soundscape arm.
Time frame: Day 1
Post-stress cognitive performance across working memory task for the urban soundscape arm.
Time frame: Day 1
Post-stress cognitive performance across working memory task for the natural soundscape arm.
Time frame: Day 1
Post-stress cognitive performance across decision-making task for the urban soundscape arm.
Time frame: Day 1
Post-stress cognitive performance across decision-making task for the natural soundscape arm.
Time frame: Day 1
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 5 Oct 2026.
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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.
Frédéric Pr Frédéric Haesebaert, PhD contact
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Natural soundscape auditory exposure and Urban soundscape auditory exposure in people with Stress (Psychology) and Environment, run by Hôpital le Vinatier.
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 6 inclusion and 7 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: opening soon, as of the sponsor's last update on 5 Oct 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. 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?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Frédéric Pr Frédéric Haesebaert, PhD (+33 (0)4 37 91 55 34, frederic.haesebaert@ch-le-vinatier.fr), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Change in salivary cortisol concentration following acute stress and a natural soundscape exposure. (time frame: Day 1). 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?
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 5 Oct 2026.