Decreasing Stress Via Virtual Reality and Binaural Beats in Non-Clinical Adults

Summary

This study is a non-clinical substudy conducted within the DESTRESS research program (NCT05036538), which investigates the effects of relaxation interventions on physiological and psychological parameters. While the main DESTRESS trial focuses on cardiac surgical patients, this additional study arm examines the same interventions in a non-clinical adult population under controlled conditions, independent of disease-, surgery-, or medication-related influences.

Participants are randomly assigned to one of several experimental conditions and take part in a single approximately 30-minute session. Depending on group allocation, the session may include exposure to natural soundscapes, natural soundscapes combined with binaural beats, virtual reality-based natural environments, virtual reality combined with binaural beats, or a control condition without a relaxation intervention.

The primary aim of the DESTUD-Study is to assess the feasibility and potential stress-reducing effects of these non-pharmacological relaxation approaches in a non-clinical setting and to support the interpretation of findings from the clinical DESTRESS trial. Physiological responses, including heart rate variability and electrodermal activity, as well as self-reported stress measures, are collected before, during and after the conditions.

Conditions

• Stress
• Relaxation
• Virtual Reality
• Binaural Beats

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Virtual Reality-Based Natural Environment

Participants are exposed to immersive virtual reality-based natural landscapes using a head-mounted display for approximately 30 minutes. The content consists of non-animated 360° natural environments

BEHAVIORAL

Binaural Auditory Stimulation

Participants receive auditory stimulation via headphones consisting of natural soundscapes combined with binaural beats. The binaural beat frequency is gradually reduced from the alpha range (10 Hz) to the delta range (1 Hz) over approximately 30 minutes.

BEHAVIORAL

Control Condition (No Relaxation Intervention)

Participants complete standardized control tasks without exposure to any relaxation intervention.

BEHAVIORAL

Auditory Stimulation

Participants receive auditory stimulation via headphones consisting of natural soundscapes over approximately 30 minutes.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Heart and Brain Research Group, Germany

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Marius Butz, PhD, M.Sc. · Heart&Brain Research Group, Kerckhoff-Clinic, Bad Nauheim, Germany

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

PREVENTION

Masking

NONE

Model

FACTORIAL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2026-03-05

Primary Completion

2026-07-15

Completion

2026-07-15

Countries

• Germany

Study Locations