Nature as a Buffer Among People With Chronic Pain

March 28, 2019 updated by: Cornell University

Virtual Nature: Benefits for Older Adults Who Experience Chronic Pain?

This randomized controlled trial examines the effect of nature exposure on pain intensity levels among older adults who experience chronic pain. Investigators examine the effects of nature on: the experience of chronic pain, on pain catastrophizing, and on attention restoration.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Nature has been used to reduce pain in the context of acute pain (e.g., during painful medical procedures) but nature has not been examined as an intervention strategy to address chronic pain. Second, the mechanism though which nature might reduce the experience of pain is not well understood. Participants are cognitively intact individuals aged 60-90 who experience chronic pain and who rate their health as fair, good or excellent. Participants are randomly assigned to one of three conditions: virtual reality (VR) nature; VR built environment; or control. Researchers examine effects of VR nature exposure on the experience of chronic pain, pain catastrophizing, and on attention restoration as well as the relations among these variables.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

23

Phase

  • 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

  • United States
    • New York
      • Ithaca, New York, United States, 14853
        • Cornell University

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

Ages Eligible for Study

60 years to 90 years (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • rate health as "fair" "good" or "excellent"
  • experience chronic pain
  • cognitively intact
  • do not use wheelchair

Exclusion Criteria:

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: Basic Science
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Natural Environment
Participants experience a virtual reality natural environment intervention (using VR goggles with Smartphone) for 10 minutes on two occasions, 1 week apart.
Other: Natural Environment
the natural environment will be delivered via Samsung VR gear goggles with Samsung smartphone.
Other Names:
  • VR nature
Experimental: Built Environment
Participants experience a virtual reality built environment intervention (using VR goggles with Smartphone) for 10 minutes on two occasions, 1 week apart.
Other: Built Environment
the built environment will be delivered via Samsung VR gear goggles with Samsung smartphone.
Other Names:
  • VR built environment
No Intervention: Control
Participants do not experience a VR intervention. Instead they visit with research assistants for 10 minutes on two occasions, 1 week apart.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Experience of chronic pain
Time Frame: up to 3 weeks; from date of randomization until 2nd data collection date
rating of pain intensity, on scale of 1-10
up to 3 weeks; from date of randomization until 2nd data collection date

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Pain catastrophizing
Time Frame: up to 3 weeks; from date of randomization until 2nd data collection date
rate 13 items on 5-point scale (0-4) (Sullivan, et al., 2001)
up to 3 weeks; from date of randomization until 2nd data collection date
cognitive functioning
Time Frame: up to 3 weeks; from date of randomization until 2nd data collection date
attention restoration - digit span forward & backwards; Attention Network Test
up to 3 weeks; from date of randomization until 2nd data collection date

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

Cornell University

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Nancy M Wells, PhD, Design + Environmental Analysis, Cornell 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)

July 1, 2016

Primary Completion (Actual)

June 1, 2018

Study Completion (Actual)

June 1, 2018

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

May 11, 2017

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

May 12, 2017

First Posted (Actual)

May 15, 2017

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

April 1, 2019

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

March 28, 2019

Last Verified

March 1, 2019

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 1703006971

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

No

IPD Plan Description

There is not a plan to share individual participant data with other researchers.

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

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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