Effects of Natural Sounds on Attention Restoration in Virtual Reality

NCT05679869 — Not applicable, Unknown, 60 participants, Nanyang Technological University

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Registry	NCT05679869, acronym VEARS
Status	Unknown
Phase	Not applicable
Study type	Interventional; randomized, parallel, masking: single, treatment
Enrollment	60 (Estimated)
Sponsor	Nanyang Technological University (Other); collaborators: National Research Foundation, Singapore, Ministry of National Development, Singapore, Housing and Development Board, Singapore
Conditions	Cognitive Fatigue, Mental Fatigue, Behavioral Performance, Heart Rate Variability, Working Memory
Interventions	Masking Sound, No masking sound (Other)
Dates	start 2022-12-06, primary completion 2023-03-15 (estimated), completion 2023-05-15 (estimated), first posted 2023-01-11, last updated 2023-01-11
Locations	1 site in Singapore

-Summary

This study aims to examine whether listening to natural sounds in a noisy virtual reality environment compared to no natural sounds influences physiological markers.

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+Detailed description

The investigators hypothesize that listening to natural sounds has restorative effects on attention by supporting greater use of involuntary attention. This generates the prediction that exposure to natural sounds in the context of a noisy environment will have greater restorative effects on attention (i.e., physiological) as compared to the control group (exposed to noise only). Individual differences (i.e., age, gender, caffeine and food intake, body mass index, skin temperature, noise sensitivity, sleep quality, baseline physiology and behavioural performance) will be examined and accounted for.

+Arms and interventions

Arm	Type	Interventions	Description
VR Simulated Outdoor Environment	Active comparator	Other: No masking sound	Exposure to recorded outdoor environmental sounds
VR Simulated Outdoor Environment with Masking Sounds	Experimental	Other: Masking Sound	Exposure to recorded outdoor environmental sounds augmented with masking sounds

Masking Sound (Other): Prerecorded environmental noise and masking sounds played from headphones
No masking sound (Other): Prerecorded environmental noise but no masking sounds played from headphones

+Outcome measures

Primary outcomes

Change in Heart Rate Variability [1 day (during fatiguing task and sound intervention)]: Electrocardiograph (Change)
Change in Fatigue State Questionnaire [baseline, up to 2 mins after fatiguing task and up to 2 mins after sound intervention]: Change in Fatigue State Questionnaire Score

+Eligibility

Sex: All, ages: 18 Years to 35 Years, accepts healthy volunteers

Inclusion Criteria:

* Singapore-based
* Non-clinical
* 18-35years

Exclusion Criteria:

* Individuals with hearing difficulties or failing to meet the minimal threshold for normal hearing
* Individuals with a history of ear, developmental, neurological, or psychiatric disorder

+Locations (1)

Facility	City	Country	Status
Cultural Science Innovations, Nanyang Technological University	Singapore	Singapore	Recruiting