Effects of Nature-Based Virtual Reality and Binaural Beats on Heart Rate Variability and Relaxation
Starting soon · Not applicable
Conditions studied: Stress, Relaxation, Virtual Reality, Binaural Beats
In brief
The VRELAX study is a non-clinical sub-study within the "Decreasing Preoperative Stress to Prevent Postoperative Delirium and Postoperative Cognitive Decline in Cardiac Surgical Patients"- research program (DESTRESS; NCT05036538), which investigates non-pharmacological relaxation interventions using virtual reality and binaural auditory stimulation. In a randomized counterbalanced within-subject design, non-clinical adult participants complete two sessions separated by a 1 day intervention-free interval. A 30-minute immersive nature-based virtual reality exposure combined with gradually decreasing binaural beats (10-1 Hertz (Hz)), and a control condition without relaxation. Heart rate variability (HRV) is recorded continuously, and subjective stress is assessed before and after each condition. The primary outcome is parasympathetic activation operationalized as high-frequency (HF) power of heart rate variability. Secondary outcomes include additional HRV parameters and self-reported stress ratings. The study aims to characterize short-term relaxation effects and evaluate the feasibility of independent use in everyday settings, supporting interpretation of clinical findings of the DESTRESS trial.
Key facts
- Study ID
- NCT07431918
- Run by
- Heart and Brain Research Group, Germany
- People needed
- 18
- Starts
- 2026-02-25
- Expected to finish
- 2026-12-20
- Last updated by the study team
- 2026-02-25
Who can join
Age: 18 and older. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: accepted.
You may qualify if…
- Adults aged 18 years or older
- Ability to understand study procedures and provide written informed consent
- Sufficient proficiency in the German language to complete questionnaires and follow study instructions
- Willingness to participate in a single approximately 60-minute study session
You may not qualify if…
- Current or history of neurological or psychiatric disorders that may interfere with data collection (e.g., dementia, major depressive disorder, stroke, epilepsy)
- Severe visual or hearing impairments that would limit the use of virtual reality equipment or headphones
- History of adverse reactions to virtual reality
Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov
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