Trial Outcomes & Findings for Virtual Reality to Improve Social Perspective Taking (NCT NCT03927612)

NCT ID: NCT03927612

Last Updated: 2023-06-28

Results Overview

This scale provides a 0-100 score that indicates the degree to which participants understand the perspective of their virtual counterpart, derived from the Perspective Taking subscale of the Interpersonal Reactivity Index. A higher change score indicate greater improvement in perspective taking in the virtual environment. The scale will be completed twice on the same day, before and after the intervention.

Recruitment status

COMPLETED

Study phase

NA

Target enrollment

90 participants

Primary outcome timeframe

1 Day

Results posted on

2023-06-28

Participant Flow

Families underwent clinical interview to establish child's psychiatric diagnoses (required disruptive behavior disorder without autism spectrum disorder or current depression for assignment to group). Participants also underwent baseline surveys, practice VR (also used to assess presence of VR sickness for exclusion criteria), and baseline MRI scan. Enrolled participants were not randomized if they did not meet inclusion criteria or discontinued participation prior to the intervention visit.

Participant milestones

Participant milestones
Measure
Alternate Perspective
After experiencing VR scenarios, participants will experience the interactions again from the virtual counterpart's perspective within the VR system. Virtual reality perspective taking training: Virtual reality system provides first-person perspective of a virtual social interaction in a school cafeteria as the subject attempts to complete a goal. A virtual counterpart interferes with this goal. In the alternate perspective condition, participants will then experience the scenario again from the counterpart's perspective, including internal thoughts of the virtual counterpart.
Control Perspective
After experiencing VR scenarios, participants will experience the interactions again from the same perspective in the VR system. Virtual reality control perspective: Virtual reality system provides first-person perspective of a virtual social interaction in a school cafeteria as the subject attempts to complete a goal. A virtual counterpart interferes with this goal. In the control perspective condition, participants will then experience the scenario again from identical perspective.
Overall Study
STARTED
24
24
Overall Study
COMPLETED
24
24
Overall Study
NOT COMPLETED
0
0

Reasons for withdrawal

Withdrawal data not reported

Baseline Characteristics

Virtual Reality to Improve Social Perspective Taking

Baseline characteristics by cohort

Baseline characteristics by cohort
Measure
Alternate Perspective
n=23 Participants
After experiencing VR scenarios, participants will experience the interactions again from the virtual counterpart's perspective within the VR system. Virtual reality perspective taking training: Virtual reality system provides first-person perspective of a virtual social interaction in a school cafeteria as the subject attempts to complete a goal. A virtual counterpart interferes with this goal. In the alternate perspective condition, participants will then experience the scenario again from the counterpart's perspective, including internal thoughts of the virtual counterpart.
Control Perspective
n=22 Participants
After experiencing VR scenarios, participants will experience the interactions again from the same perspective in the VR system. Virtual reality control perspective: Virtual reality system provides first-person perspective of a virtual social interaction in a school cafeteria as the subject attempts to complete a goal. A virtual counterpart interferes with this goal. In the control perspective condition, participants will then experience the scenario again from identical perspective.
Total
n=45 Participants
Total of all reporting groups
Age, Categorical
<=18 years
23 Participants
n=5 Participants
22 Participants
n=7 Participants
45 Participants
n=5 Participants
Age, Categorical
Between 18 and 65 years
0 Participants
n=5 Participants
0 Participants
n=7 Participants
0 Participants
n=5 Participants
Age, Categorical
>=65 years
0 Participants
n=5 Participants
0 Participants
n=7 Participants
0 Participants
n=5 Participants
Age, Continuous
10.87 years
STANDARD_DEVIATION 1.00 • n=5 Participants
11.16 years
STANDARD_DEVIATION 1.03 • n=7 Participants
11.01 years
STANDARD_DEVIATION 1.01 • n=5 Participants
Sex: Female, Male
Female
8 Participants
n=5 Participants
10 Participants
n=7 Participants
18 Participants
n=5 Participants
Sex: Female, Male
Male
15 Participants
n=5 Participants
12 Participants
n=7 Participants
27 Participants
n=5 Participants
Ethnicity (NIH/OMB)
Hispanic or Latino
3 Participants
n=5 Participants
2 Participants
n=7 Participants
5 Participants
n=5 Participants
Ethnicity (NIH/OMB)
Not Hispanic or Latino
20 Participants
n=5 Participants
20 Participants
n=7 Participants
40 Participants
n=5 Participants
Ethnicity (NIH/OMB)
Unknown or Not Reported
0 Participants
n=5 Participants
0 Participants
n=7 Participants
0 Participants
n=5 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
American Indian or Alaska Native
0 Participants
n=5 Participants
0 Participants
n=7 Participants
0 Participants
n=5 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Asian
0 Participants
n=5 Participants
0 Participants
n=7 Participants
0 Participants
n=5 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
0 Participants
n=5 Participants
0 Participants
n=7 Participants
0 Participants
n=5 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Black or African American
2 Participants
n=5 Participants
3 Participants
n=7 Participants
5 Participants
n=5 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
White
18 Participants
n=5 Participants
16 Participants
n=7 Participants
34 Participants
n=5 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
More than one race
2 Participants
n=5 Participants
3 Participants
n=7 Participants
5 Participants
n=5 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Unknown or Not Reported
1 Participants
n=5 Participants
0 Participants
n=7 Participants
1 Participants
n=5 Participants
Region of Enrollment
United States
23 Participants
n=5 Participants
22 Participants
n=7 Participants
45 Participants
n=5 Participants

PRIMARY outcome

Timeframe: 1 Day

Population: Children aged 9-12 with a disruptive behavior disorder

This scale provides a 0-100 score that indicates the degree to which participants understand the perspective of their virtual counterpart, derived from the Perspective Taking subscale of the Interpersonal Reactivity Index. A higher change score indicate greater improvement in perspective taking in the virtual environment. The scale will be completed twice on the same day, before and after the intervention.

Outcome measures

Outcome measures
Measure
Alternate Perspective
n=23 Participants
After experiencing VR scenarios, participants will experience the interactions again from the virtual counterpart's perspective within the VR system. Virtual reality perspective taking training: Virtual reality system provides first-person perspective of a virtual social interaction in a school cafeteria as the subject attempts to complete a goal. A virtual counterpart interferes with this goal. In the alternate perspective condition, participants will then experience the scenario again from the counterpart's perspective, including internal thoughts of the virtual counterpart.
Control Perspective
n=22 Participants
After experiencing VR scenarios, participants will experience the interactions again from the same perspective in the VR system. Virtual reality control perspective: Virtual reality system provides first-person perspective of a virtual social interaction in a school cafeteria as the subject attempts to complete a goal. A virtual counterpart interferes with this goal. In the control perspective condition, participants will then experience the scenario again from identical perspective.
Change From Pre-intervention on the Virtual Reality Perspective Taking Scale
16.3 Score on a scale
Standard Deviation 27.9
-10.4 Score on a scale
Standard Deviation 26.3

PRIMARY outcome

Timeframe: 1 Day

Population: Children aged 9-12 with a disruptive behavior disorder

This scale allows participants to rate the relative importance of the virtual counterpart's perspective, on a 0-100 scale, with a scenario-specific question. A higher change score indicates greater improvement in acknowledging the virtual counterpart's perspective. The scale will be completed twice on the same day, before and after the intervention.

Outcome measures

Outcome measures
Measure
Alternate Perspective
n=23 Participants
After experiencing VR scenarios, participants will experience the interactions again from the virtual counterpart's perspective within the VR system. Virtual reality perspective taking training: Virtual reality system provides first-person perspective of a virtual social interaction in a school cafeteria as the subject attempts to complete a goal. A virtual counterpart interferes with this goal. In the alternate perspective condition, participants will then experience the scenario again from the counterpart's perspective, including internal thoughts of the virtual counterpart.
Control Perspective
n=22 Participants
After experiencing VR scenarios, participants will experience the interactions again from the same perspective in the VR system. Virtual reality control perspective: Virtual reality system provides first-person perspective of a virtual social interaction in a school cafeteria as the subject attempts to complete a goal. A virtual counterpart interferes with this goal. In the control perspective condition, participants will then experience the scenario again from identical perspective.
Change From Pre-intervention on the Acknowledgement of Other Perspective Scale
2.0 score on a scale
Standard Deviation 27.1
-1.4 score on a scale
Standard Deviation 18.5

PRIMARY outcome

Timeframe: The fMRI scans will be administered 0-2 weeks prior to the intervention and the day of the intervention (upon completion of the intervention).

Population: Children aged 9-12 with a disruptive behavior disorder

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) will measure the blood-oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) response in the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex, left anterior insula, and right anterior insula while imagining pain happening to oneself or the virtual counterpart. Perspective taking and empathy are reflected by a similar BOLD response to self and other pain. This score reflects the change from baseline in the Self Pain - Other Pain contrast in each region. A lower score to Self vs. Other pain results from a stronger response to other's pain, reflecting improved perspective taking. Therefore, lower values reflect a stronger neural response to other's pain, compared to the baseline visit.

Outcome measures

Outcome measures
Measure
Alternate Perspective
n=20 Participants
After experiencing VR scenarios, participants will experience the interactions again from the virtual counterpart's perspective within the VR system. Virtual reality perspective taking training: Virtual reality system provides first-person perspective of a virtual social interaction in a school cafeteria as the subject attempts to complete a goal. A virtual counterpart interferes with this goal. In the alternate perspective condition, participants will then experience the scenario again from the counterpart's perspective, including internal thoughts of the virtual counterpart.
Control Perspective
n=18 Participants
After experiencing VR scenarios, participants will experience the interactions again from the same perspective in the VR system. Virtual reality control perspective: Virtual reality system provides first-person perspective of a virtual social interaction in a school cafeteria as the subject attempts to complete a goal. A virtual counterpart interferes with this goal. In the control perspective condition, participants will then experience the scenario again from identical perspective.
Change From Pre-intervention in Brain Activity in Response to Self Pain vs. Other Pain
Left Anterior Insula Change
0.089 BOLD signal change (Self vs. Other Pain)
Standard Deviation 0.19
-0.070 BOLD signal change (Self vs. Other Pain)
Standard Deviation 0.25
Change From Pre-intervention in Brain Activity in Response to Self Pain vs. Other Pain
Right Anterior Insula Change
0.078 BOLD signal change (Self vs. Other Pain)
Standard Deviation 0.22
-0.128 BOLD signal change (Self vs. Other Pain)
Standard Deviation 0.30
Change From Pre-intervention in Brain Activity in Response to Self Pain vs. Other Pain
Dorsal Anterior Cingulate Cortex Change
0.10 BOLD signal change (Self vs. Other Pain)
Standard Deviation 0.27
-0.080 BOLD signal change (Self vs. Other Pain)
Standard Deviation 0.34

Adverse Events

Alternate Perspective

Serious events: 0 serious events
Other events: 0 other events
Deaths: 0 deaths

Control Perspective

Serious events: 0 serious events
Other events: 0 other events
Deaths: 0 deaths

Serious adverse events

Adverse event data not reported

Other adverse events

Adverse event data not reported

Additional Information

Clinical Research Specialist

Indiana University School of Medicine

Phone: 317-274-8670

Results disclosure agreements

  • Principal investigator is a sponsor employee
  • Publication restrictions are in place