Reducing stress with virtual reality and binaural beats in adults

Is this trial a fit for you?

A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.

What this trial studies

This non-clinical substudy enrolls healthy adults and randomly assigns them to one of five conditions: natural soundscapes, natural soundscapes plus binaural beats, virtual-reality nature, virtual-reality plus binaural beats, or a no-intervention control. Each participant completes a single approximately 30-minute intervention within a roughly 60-minute visit while physiological measures (heart rate variability, electrodermal activity) and self-report stress/relaxation questionnaires are collected. Random assignment and the non-clinical setting are used to isolate the effects of audio and VR elements from disease-, perioperative-, or medication-related confounders. The goal is to test feasibility and short-term stress-reducing effects and to provide a reference dataset to help interpret findings from the main clinical DESTRESS trial.

Why it matters

Who can join: the full rules

Inclusion Criteria:

1\. Adults aged 18 years or older 2. Ability to understand study procedures and provide written informed consent 3. Sufficient proficiency in the German language to complete questionnaires and follow study instructions 4. Willingness to participate in a single approximately 60-minute study session

Exclusion Criteria:

1\. Current or history of neurological or psychiatric disorders that may interfere with data collection (e.g., dementia, major depressive disorder, stroke, epilepsy) 2. Severe visual or hearing impairments that would limit the use of virtual reality equipment or headphones 3. History of adverse reactions to virtual reality

Where it's running

• Kerckhoff-Clinic
  Bad Nauheim, Germany Recruiting

Study contacts

• Principal investigator: Marius Butz, PhD, M.Sc. — Heart&Brain Research Group, Kerckhoff-Clinic, Bad Nauheim, Germany
• Study coordinator: Marius Butz, PhD, M.Sc.
• Email: m.butz@kerckhoff-klinik.de
• Phone: Tel.: +49(0)6032/996 5812

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How to take part

1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
2. Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
3. Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.