Nature as a Buffer Among People With Chronic Pain

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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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.

Detailed Description
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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.

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

Conditions
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Chronic Pain

Intervention / Treatment
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* Other: Natural Environment
* Other: Built Environment


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: rate health as fair good or excellent experience chronic pain cognitively intact do not use wheelchair Exclusion Criteria:

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 60 Years
Maximum Age: 90 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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No

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Basic Science
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: Natural Environment<br>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<br>* the natural environment will be delivered via Samsung VR gear goggles with Samsung smartphone.<br>* Other names: VR nature;|
| Experimental: Built Environment<br>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<br>* the built environment will be delivered via Samsung VR gear goggles with Samsung smartphone.<br>* Other names: VR built environment;|
| No Intervention: Control<br>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?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Experience of chronic pain | 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 | 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 | attention restoration - digit span forward & backwards; Attention Network Test | up to 3 weeks; from date of randomization until 2nd data collection date | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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environment, nature