The Effect of Immersive VR Distraction on Memory: Study 2

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.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Virtual Reality Amnesia
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Immersive Virtual Reality; Behavioral: Plausible control condition

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 Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 20
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Washington
    • Seattle, Washington, United States, 98195
      • University of Washington

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• 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

Exclusion Criteria:

• 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,
• 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

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Basic Science
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Crossover Assignment
• Masking: Single

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: High Tech virtual reality; 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.	Behavioral: Immersive Virtual Reality; 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.
Sham Comparator: Low Tech VR; 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.	Behavioral: Plausible control condition; 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.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Word Recall accuracy	Number of study words recalled during an immediate recall task	begin 15 seconds after the last word
Subjective ratings of Distraction	Participants rated how distracted they were in each treatment condition	Measured immediately after the free recall of each word list.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
During Phase 2, VR pain reduction was measured	graphic ratings of worst pain intensity and other GRS pain ratings during brief thermal stimulation	subjective pain ratings measured immediately after each brief thermal stimulus

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Washington
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: HUNTER HOFFMAN, PhD, University of Washington

Publications and helpful links

General 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.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): May 31, 2024
• Primary Completion (Actual): February 11, 2025
• Study Completion (Actual): February 11, 2025

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: September 10, 2025
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: September 14, 2025
• First Posted (Estimated): September 19, 2025

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimated): September 24, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: September 19, 2025
• Last Verified: September 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: memory; immersive virtual reality distraction,; see through VR
• Other Study ID Numbers: VRAnalgesia2025b

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: YES
• IPD Plan Description: De-identified summarized aggregated data will be available upon reasonable request.
• IPD Sharing Time Frame: De-identified summarized aggregated data will be available upon publication in a peer reviewed journal until 2030
• IPD Sharing Access Criteria: summarized aggregate data will be made available upon reasonable request by e-mailing the primary contact.

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No