VR Intervention to Improve Police Safety

NCT ID: NCT03605368

Last Updated: 2024-03-27

Study Results

Results available

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Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

COMPLETED

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

158 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2017-11-17

Study Completion Date

2022-10-12

Brief Summary

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The primary objective of this study is to demonstrate the efficacy of Floreo's police safety module (PSM) in adolescents and adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) by assessing improvement in police interaction skills as compared to a video modeling intervention.

Detailed Description

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Advances in virtual reality (VR) technology offer new opportunities to design interventions targeting the core deficits associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and promote acquisition of skills necessary for effective navigation of challenging social situations, such as engagement with law enforcement. Researchers have explored the potential of virtual reality technology in targeting autism-related deficits, but at this time there are no evidence-based VR interventions for ASD. While most research labelled VR for the purposes of therapy has not been immersive, in recent years, the commercial introduction of head-mounted displays (HMD) and lower cost of virtual reality technology have led to greater interest in therapeutic applications of VR. As part of a mission to develop VR products for individuals with ASD, investigators will collaborate with a commercial tech start-up company, Floreo Technology, to study a mobile VR module for police safety skills. Investigators seek to evaluate the safety and feasibility of the mobile VR police safety module (PSM) and the effectiveness of the module in improving police interaction skills in adolescents and adults with ASD.

Conditions

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Autism Spectrum Disorder Autism

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

SINGLE

Outcome Assessors

Study Groups

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Phase IIA - in-person

Participants will be assigned to either a) a virtual reality-based intervention or b) an video modeling intervention both aimed at improving police interaction skills. Assessments of police skills will occur before intervention and after intervention (three sessions of each).

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Virtual Reality Intervention

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Floreo's Police Safety Module (PSM) offers a supervised VR experience for people with ASD. The software is an application that provides a 3D immersive scene for headset-compatible smartphones. The person with ASD will use a smartphone capable of running the application with a dedicated headset providing the virtual environment. The PSM provides an immersive story-based intervention that shows a fully realized and intricately detailed urban environment designed to engage the user in a virtual encounter with a law enforcement officer. The immersive VR environment engages the person with ASD as an actor in a virtual narrative, incorporating strategies from both story-based intervention and video modeling. The video demonstrates the approach and initial engagement efforts of two police officers in the virtual environment, from the perspective of the person wearing the headset. The PSM allows a monitoring therapist to use a tablet or phone to supervise the person's virtual world.

Video Modeling Intervention

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

The video modeling intervention is a subset of the BE SAFE The Movie Curriculum Lessons (https://besafethemovie.com/curriculum/) that were selected to match Floreo PSM on length. The BE SAFE The Movie Curriculum consists of video-based instruction on police officer interaction expectations and safety. Within each of three sessions, participants will watch videos, complete worksheets, and discuss topics related to police safety knowledge and behaviors with the study administrator.

Phase IIB - remote

Participants will be assigned to either a) three sessions of virtual reality-based intervention aimed at improving police interaction skills or b) no intervention. Assessments of police skills will occur before intervention, after intervention, and 3-4 weeks follow up in the intervention group and at comparable timepoints in the no intervention group.

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Virtual Reality Intervention

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Floreo's Police Safety Module (PSM) offers a supervised VR experience for people with ASD. The software is an application that provides a 3D immersive scene for headset-compatible smartphones. The person with ASD will use a smartphone capable of running the application with a dedicated headset providing the virtual environment. The PSM provides an immersive story-based intervention that shows a fully realized and intricately detailed urban environment designed to engage the user in a virtual encounter with a law enforcement officer. The immersive VR environment engages the person with ASD as an actor in a virtual narrative, incorporating strategies from both story-based intervention and video modeling. The video demonstrates the approach and initial engagement efforts of two police officers in the virtual environment, from the perspective of the person wearing the headset. The PSM allows a monitoring therapist to use a tablet or phone to supervise the person's virtual world.

No intervention

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Participants will follow all study procedures with the exception of the VR-based intervention including assessments.

Interventions

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Virtual Reality Intervention

Floreo's Police Safety Module (PSM) offers a supervised VR experience for people with ASD. The software is an application that provides a 3D immersive scene for headset-compatible smartphones. The person with ASD will use a smartphone capable of running the application with a dedicated headset providing the virtual environment. The PSM provides an immersive story-based intervention that shows a fully realized and intricately detailed urban environment designed to engage the user in a virtual encounter with a law enforcement officer. The immersive VR environment engages the person with ASD as an actor in a virtual narrative, incorporating strategies from both story-based intervention and video modeling. The video demonstrates the approach and initial engagement efforts of two police officers in the virtual environment, from the perspective of the person wearing the headset. The PSM allows a monitoring therapist to use a tablet or phone to supervise the person's virtual world.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Video Modeling Intervention

The video modeling intervention is a subset of the BE SAFE The Movie Curriculum Lessons (https://besafethemovie.com/curriculum/) that were selected to match Floreo PSM on length. The BE SAFE The Movie Curriculum consists of video-based instruction on police officer interaction expectations and safety. Within each of three sessions, participants will watch videos, complete worksheets, and discuss topics related to police safety knowledge and behaviors with the study administrator.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

No intervention

Participants will follow all study procedures with the exception of the VR-based intervention including assessments.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* Males or females age 12 to 60 years.
* Documented autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnosis
* Verbal Intelligence Quotient (IQ) \>/= 75 (verbal and non-verbal)
* Informed consent (if adult) or parental/guardian permission (if child or adult with diminished capacity) and, if applicable, assent

Exclusion Criteria

* Participation in pilot virtual reality (VR) study at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP)
* Personal or family history of seizures or a seizure disorder
* Primary sensory impairment (e.g., blindness, deafness)
* Personal or family history of migraines
* History of vertigo
* History of strabismus, other eye muscle problems, or eye surgery
* History of concussion with hospitalization
* Diagnosis of a known genetic syndrome (e.g., Down syndrome, Fragile X syndrome)
* History of a medical condition which has affected/affects cognitive, sensory, or motor functioning (e.g., Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, brain injury, stroke, brain tumor)
* Non-English speaking
* Parents/guardians or subjects who, in the opinion of the Investigator, may be non-compliant with study schedules or procedures
Minimum Eligible Age

12 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

60 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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Floreo, Inc.

INDUSTRY

Sponsor Role collaborator

National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

NIH

Sponsor Role collaborator

Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Responsibility Role SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

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Julia Parish-Morris, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

Vijay Ravindran

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Floreo, Inc.

Locations

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Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

Site Status

Countries

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United States

Provided Documents

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Document Type: Study Protocol and Statistical Analysis Plan

View Document

Document Type: Informed Consent Form

View Document

Other Identifiers

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1R42MH115539-01

Identifier Type: NIH

Identifier Source: secondary_id

View Link

17-014387

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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