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Visual Stress of the Open Urban Environment

NCT01025310 · Status: WITHDRAWN · Type: OBSERVATIONAL

Last updated 2015-10-14

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

Background and objectives: There is a general agreement that some types of urban environment could be the source of psychological stress as opposed to natural-relaxing environment. A number of aesthetical researches found out that the main cause for stress appearance can be explained by the complexity and order of the environment. There are also some indications that the stressing influence of the open environment can be measured by evaluating eye movements, in particular saccadic movements.

The objective of this study is to characterize eye movements - mainly saccades -while presenting visual material of different complexity and order and to evaluate the possible relationship between eye movements and parameters of psychological and physiological stress.

Methods: The research is based on systematic gradual experiments on healthy volunteers, who will be tested while viewing series of abstract figures and pictures of natural and urban areas with different level of complexity and order. Each figure or picture will be showed to subjects for 7 seconds. During the whole experimental session the investigators will measure:

1. Saccadic and other eye movements using the magnetic scleral search coil technique. The magnetic scleral search coil technique is the most sensitive and accurate technique used in modern ocular motor research for measuring horizontal, vertical and torsional eye movements. The coils are easy to apply and well tolerated over a wearing period of up to 45 minutes per recording session.
2. Heart rate pulse will be measured using a commercial pulse-meter.
3. Aesthetical evaluation: Following each figure or picture 7 seconds presentation; subjects will rate it in a scale from 1 (very relaxing) to 10 (very stressful).

Possible relationship between saccadic eye movements, heart rate and aesthetical rate will be analyzed using WIN 11 SPSS and MATLAB in statistically accepted ways.

Population: A total of about 60 healthy subjects aged 18-60 years old will be recruited for the study from students, faculty and staff of Tel Aviv University and of Meir Medical Center.

Criteria for inclusion: Healthy subject with normal vision

Criteria for exclusion: Eye disease such as corneal or scleral abrasion or disease, glaucoma, refractive errors greater than 2 diopters and concurrent medication with CNS-active agents.

Conditions

  • Visual Stress

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • Tel Aviv University

    collaborator OTHER

  • Meir Medical Center

    lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

  • Carlos R Gordon, MD, DSc · Department of Neurology, Meir Medical Center, Kfar Saba, Israel

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Max Age
60 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2011-04-30
Primary Completion
2011-12-31
Completion
2012-12-31

Countries

  • Israel

Study Locations

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Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT01025310 on ClinicalTrials.gov