The Effect of Using Virtual Reality and Kaleidoscope During Renal Scintigraphy on Children's Fear and Anxiety

January 30, 2026 updated by: Hüsniye ÇEKİÇ, Tarsus University

The Effect of Virtual Reality Goggles and the Kaleidoscope Application During Renal Scintigraphy on Children's Fear and Anxiety Levels

The kidneys are two bean-shaped organs that play a very important role in the human body. They are located on the right and left sides of the body, in the lower back. Their main function is to filter excess water and waste from the blood and excrete it through urine. Thus, they help maintain the body's fluid and electrolyte balance. They produce hormones that regulate blood pressure. They secrete the hormone erythropoietin, which stimulates the production of red blood cells. They play an important role in vitamin D metabolism to support bone health. Kidney scintigraphy is an important imaging method used to assess the function and structure of the kidneys. Using a radioactive substance, this test helps to examine the kidneys' blood flow, filtration and urine production. It is used to see how healthy the kidneys are working. It can help identify problems such as a mass or infection in the kidneys. It is used to detect urinary tract blockages caused by stones, tumors or other causes. It is important in patients who have had a kidney transplant to check that the new kidney is working properly. DMSA scintigraphy (Dimercaptosuccinic Acid scintigraphy) is a nuclear medicine imaging method used to assess the function and structural integrity of the kidneys. During imaging, the patient must remain immobile for a certain period of time, which can be difficult for children. Developing effective methods to divert children's attention and facilitate their adaptation to the hospital environment is of great importance in reducing both the comfort of patients and the workload of healthcare professionals. Virtual reality (VR) goggles are a highly effective tool for distraction. Because it engages our senses so intensely, it can cause us to largely ignore what is happening in the environment. VR goggles are very good at minimizing distractions or immersing you in a completely different atmosphere. The kaleidoscope is an impressive tool for diverting attention. Thanks to its mirrors and colored parts, it creates ever-changing and fascinating patterns. The hypnotic effect of the visual flow can relax the mind and help distract attention from stressful elements.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Enrolling by invitation

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
90

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • Turkey (Türkiye)
    • Mersin
      • Mersin, Mersin, Turkey (Türkiye), 33330
        • Tarsus Üniversitesi

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Child

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria: Being between 4 and 6 years of age

  • Speaking Turkish
  • Having no communication problems
  • Administration of radiopharmaceutical medication to the child prior to imaging
  • Voluntary participation of the child and parent in the study

Exclusion Criteria: Not being between 4-6 years of age

  • Having a chronic disease other than a kidney abnormality
  • Having previously undergone a kidney scintigraphy scan
  • One of the parents having previously undergone a kidney scintigraphy scan
  • The child having a visual, hearing, or mental disability

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Supportive Care
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Double

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
No Intervention: no intervention routine application group
No distraction techniques were used with the children in this group. They were informed about the routine imaging procedure at the clinic and their parents were allowed to stay with them during the imaging.
Experimental: kaleidoscope group
During the scintigraphy scan (maximum 10 minutes), the children in this group had their attention diverted elsewhere using a kaleidoscope.
Other: kaleidoscope
for use in nuclear medicine
Experimental: virtual reality group
Children in this group were shown a cartoon featuring animals using virtual reality goggles. The video was started as soon as the child was placed on the scintigraphy device and continued until the scan was complete. The virtual reality goggles were removed once the scan was finished. Since the scan lasted a maximum of 10 minutes, care was taken to ensure that the selected video was at least 10 minutes long. Children who were given VR goggles were shown the cartoon "Smart Rabbit Momo." This process took an average of 10-15 minutes.
Other: virtual reality glasses
The use of virtual reality in nuclear medicine

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Time Frame
The effect of virtual reality glasses and kaleidoscope application on children's fear and anxiety levels during renal scintigraphy.
Time Frame: about six months
about six months

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Tarsus University

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
August 1, 2025

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
August 1, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
August 8, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
December 30, 2025

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
January 30, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
February 6, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
February 6, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
January 30, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
January 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 5C679852b7f3

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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