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Impact of Immersive Virtual Reality (IVR) on Respiratory Effort: A Pilot Study in Healthy Adults

NCT07498816 · Status: RECRUITING · Phase: NA · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 10

Last updated 2026-03-27

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

This pilot randomized crossover study will evaluate the acute effects of immersive virtual reality (IVR) on respiratory effort during submaximal exercise in healthy adults. Dyspnea and increased respiratory effort are influenced not only by mechanical and metabolic factors, but also by emotional and central neural inputs. IVR has shown potential to reduce anxiety, promote relaxation, and modulate physiological responses, but its direct effect on respiratory effort has not been adequately studied.

Healthy adults will complete two experimental exercise sessions: one session with IVR and one session without IVR, in randomized order. In both conditions, participants will perform a 6-minute constant-load cycling test at a submaximal workload individualized from a prior incremental exercise test. Respiratory effort will be assessed continuously using esophageal pressure monitoring. Additional measurements will include ventilatory variables, perceived dyspnea, acute state anxiety, heart rate, oxygen saturation, and heart rate variability.

The primary aim is to determine whether IVR reduces respiratory effort compared with the control condition. This pilot study is intended to provide physiological evidence on the potential role of IVR as a non-pharmacological strategy to modulate respiratory effort and dyspnea, and to inform future research in clinical populations.

Conditions

  • Virtual Reality
  • Respiratory Effort
  • Exercise

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Immersive Virtual Reality

Participants are exposed to immersive virtual reality using a head-mounted display during a constant-load submaximal cycling exercise test. The virtual environment provides visual and auditory immersion designed to induce a sense of presence and relaxation. Exercise intensity is individualized based on a prior incremental cardiopulmonary exercise test. The intervention is intended to evaluate the acute effects of immersive virtual reality on respiratory effort, ventilatory responses, and perceived dyspnea during exercise.

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile

    lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
OTHER
Masking
NONE
Model
CROSSOVER

Eligibility

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

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2025-10-01
Primary Completion
2026-03-20
Completion
2026-12-15

Countries

  • Chile

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 NCT07498816 on ClinicalTrials.gov