Virtual Reality During Coronary Angiography: Effects on Pain and Anxiety (VR-CAPA)

March 16, 2026 updated by: Meryem Ayvaz, Koç University

Beyond the Cath Lab Curtain: Virtual Reality's Impact on Pain and Anxiety: A Randomized Controlled Trial

This study investigated whether virtual reality (VR) can reduce pain and anxiety in patients undergoing coronary angiography. Coronary angiography is a common cardiac procedure performed under local anesthesia while patients remain awake, which can cause significant pain and anxiety.

Adult patients scheduled for elective coronary angiography were randomly assigned to two groups: one group watched a nature-themed VR video during the procedure, while the control group received standard care. Pain and anxiety levels were measured before and after the procedure using validated scales.

The findings of this study may help healthcare providers offer a simple, non-pharmacological method to improve patient comfort during coronary angiography.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Coronary angiography is one of the most frequently performed invasive cardiac diagnostic procedures. Although the procedure is performed under local anesthesia, patients remain conscious throughout, and procedural pain and anxiety are commonly reported. Non-pharmacological interventions to manage these symptoms are increasingly being explored as adjuncts to standard care.

Virtual reality (VR) is an immersive technology that engages the user's visual and auditory senses, potentially distracting patients from procedural discomfort. This randomized controlled trial examined the effect of VR on pain and anxiety in patients undergoing elective coronary angiography.

Patients were randomized into two groups using a sealed envelope method. The VR group watched a pre-selected nature-themed video through a VR headset throughout the procedure. The control group received standard care without any additional intervention. Pain was assessed using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and anxiety was measured using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) before and after the procedure.

The study was conducted at a cardiology unit in Istanbul, Turkey, and was approved by the institutional ethics committee (Approval No: 2019-84). Written informed consent was obtained from all participants prior to enrollment.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

90

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

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

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Aged 18 years or older
  • Scheduled for elective coronary angiography
  • Conscious and oriented
  • Able to communicate verbally
  • No prior coronary angiography experience
  • Willing to participate and provided written informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

  • History of psychiatric disorder or use of psychiatric medication
  • Visual or hearing impairment that would prevent VR use
  • Hemodynamic instability
  • Emergency coronary angiography
  • Inability to complete the questionnaires
  • Prior experience with virtual reality

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: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Virtual Reality Group
Participants watched a nature-themed virtual reality video through a VR headset throughout the coronary angiography procedure in addition to standard care.
Device: Virtual Reality Headset
Participants in the VR group wore a virtual reality headset and watched a pre-selected nature-themed video throughout the coronary angiography procedure. The VR intervention was applied in addition to standard care and was maintained for the entire duration of the procedure.
No Intervention: Control Group
Participants received standard care without any additional intervention during coronary angiography.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Pain Intensity Measured by Visual Analog Scale (VAS)
Time Frame: Measured before and immediately after the coronary angiography procedure
Pain was assessed using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), a 10-cm horizontal scale where 0 indicates no pain and 10 indicates the worst imaginable pain.
Measured before and immediately after the coronary angiography procedure

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
State-Trait Anxiety Level Measured by State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-S)
Time Frame: Measured before and immediately after the coronary angiography procedure
Anxiety was assessed using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), which measures state anxiety (STAI-S) and trait anxiety (STAI-T). State anxiety reflects current anxiety levels, while trait anxiety reflects general anxiety disposition. Higher scores indicate greater anxiety.
Measured before and immediately after the coronary angiography procedure

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

Koç 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)

January 1, 2022

Primary Completion (Actual)

February 1, 2023

Study Completion (Actual)

February 1, 2023

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

March 16, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

March 16, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

March 19, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

March 19, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

March 16, 2026

Last Verified

March 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 2019-84

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.

Clinical Trials on Pain

Clinical Trials on Virtual Reality Headset

Search Similar Trials

Sponsors and Collaborators

Medical Conditions

Drug Interventions

CROs by country

CROs in Belarus

Conditions

Rare Diseases

Drug Interventions

Dietary Supplements

Sponsor/Collaborators

Locations

Subscribe