Effect of a Preoperative Sensory Modulation Room on Pain, Anxiety, and Sleep in Kidney Transplant Patients

Summary

The goal of this prospective study is to evaluate whether preoperative exposure to a sensory modulation room can influence postoperative pain, anxiety, and sleep outcomes in adult living kidney donors and recipients. Organ transplantation involves complex surgical experiences that generate substantial physiological and psychological stress. Increased preoperative anxiety, sleep disturbances, and pain perception can adversely affect surgical outcomes and postoperative recovery. Given the limited availability of non-pharmacological nursing interventions for preoperative stress management, examining the effects of sensory modulation as a non-pharmacological approach is of clinical importance. The main questions this study aims to answer are:

* Does preoperative exposure to a sensory modulation room reduce postoperative pain levels compared to standard care?
* Does preoperative exposure to a sensory modulation room reduce preoperative and postoperative anxiety compared to standard care?
* Does preoperative exposure to a sensory modulation room improve postoperative sleep quality compared to standard care?
* How do individual sensory processing profiles influence the effectiveness of sensory modulation on postoperative pain, anxiety, and sleep? Comparison group: Researchers will compare participants who undergo preoperative sensory modulation (intervention group) to participants receiving standard preoperative care (control group) to determine differences in postoperative pain, anxiety, and sleep quality. Participants will: Be adult living kidney donors and recipients scheduled for elective transplantation at the Sakarya Training and Research Hospital Organ Transplant Unit. Undergo a single 15-20 minute sensory modulation session in a specially designed preoperative room equipped with dim lighting, nature videos, relaxing music, and tactile objects (stress balls, grounding mats).

Complete a structured sequence during the intervention: orientation (0-5 min), visual stimulation with nature video (5-10 min), auditory stimulation with music (10-15 min), free sensory exploration (15-20 min), followed by questionnaires assessing immediate effects (20-25 min).

Complete study instruments including a Demographic Information Form, the Adult Sensory Processing Questionnaire, the Surgical Anxiety Scale, the Athens Insomnia Scale, and a Visual Analogue Scale for pain. Be monitored postoperatively, with primary outcomes (pain, anxiety, and sleep quality) measured on postoperative day 3 to ensure clinical stability and reliable self-reporting. The study sample is planned to include 40 participants (20 donors and 20 recipients) using sequential assignment rather than randomization to minimize cross-group interaction and behavioral contamination. Control group participants will receive routine preoperative care including surgical preparation, laboratory testing, and standard clinical monitoring, without structured relaxation or sensory modulation interventions. All participants will be evaluated at identical time points using the same assessment tools.

It has received ethical approval from the Sakarya University Health Sciences Scientific Research Ethics Committee (Date: 18.11.2025, Approval No: E-43012747-050.04-533621-570), and informed consent will be obtained from all participants in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki. Data analysis will be conducted using SPSS 25.0.

Conditions

• Renal Transplantation
• Transplant Donation
• Donor Nephrectomy

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Preoperative Sensory Modulation Session

Participants will undergo a 15-20 minute session in a specially designed sensory modulation room after completing the first part of the informational consent form. The room is equipped with dim lighting, nature videos, calming music, tactile objects (stress balls, grounding mat), and relaxing audiovisual stimuli. The intervention follows a structured protocol: 0-5 min orientation, 5-10 min nature video, 10-15 min music listening, 15-20 min free sensory exploration, and 20-25 min post-session questionnaire. Duration, content, and environmental conditions are standardized for all participants and delivered by a single trained researcher. This intervention aims to promote attention regulation, sensory modulation, and autonomic nervous system balance. It is a single-session, structured experimental intervention applied in addition to standard preoperative care in kidney transplant patients.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Sakarya University Education and Research Hospital

  collaborator UNKNOWN

• Sakarya University

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Dilek Aygin · Sakarya University

Study Design

Allocation

NON_RANDOMIZED

Purpose

SUPPORTIVE_CARE

Masking

NONE

Model

SEQUENTIAL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2025-12-01

Primary Completion

2026-12-31

Completion

2027-05-31

Countries

• Turkey (Türkiye)

Study Locations