Snoezelen multisensory relaxation to reduce anxiety during pediatric chemotherapy hospital stays

Proof-of-Concept Study of the SNOEZELEN Device on Anxiety Symptoms in Patients Hospitalized for Chemotherapy in a Pediatric Oncology Department

This will try Snoezelen multisensory relaxation sessions to see if they reduce anxiety in children and adolescents aged 8–17 hospitalized for chemotherapy.

Quick facts

• Phase: NA
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 20 (estimated)
• Ages: 8 Years to 18 Years
• Sex: All
• Sponsor: Centre Oscar Lambret (other)
• Drugs / interventions: chemotherapy
• Locations: 1 site (Lille)
• Trial ID: NCT07202507 on ClinicalTrials.gov

What this trial studies

This monocentric proof-of-concept study uses a within-subject design to compare anxiety and related symptoms during a chemotherapy hospitalization without Snoezelen to a subsequent hospitalization with Snoezelen sessions. Participants aged 8–17 at Centre Oscar Lambret will complete self-report questionnaires (GAD-7, SCARED, CDI, PedsQL, BARF), provide data on anxiolytic/antiemetic use and vomiting, and take part in a semi-structured interview. During the second hospitalization patients receive 45-minute Snoezelen sessions every two days and researchers will combine quantitative pre-post comparisons with qualitative interview analysis. The mixed-methods approach is intended to explore effects on anxiety, mood, quality of life, and chemotherapy-related nausea.

Who should consider this trial

Good fit: Ideal participants are French-speaking children and adolescents aged 8–17 treated at the Centre Oscar Lambret who are hospitalized for multi-day, highly emetogenic chemotherapy and can provide consent with parental authorization.

Not a fit: Children with claustrophobia, significant psychiatric or cognitive disorders, severe uncontrolled symptoms, or those unable to comply with the sessions (including non–French speakers) are unlikely to benefit from this intervention.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, the intervention could lower anxiety during hospital stays and improve mood, comfort, and possibly reduce nausea and need for supportive medications in pediatric chemotherapy patients.

How similar studies have performed: Snoezelen and other multisensory approaches have shown small-scale benefits for anxiety and comfort in pediatric and palliative settings, but high-quality controlled evidence in pediatric oncology is limited.

Eligibility criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

* New patient
* Treated in the Paediatrics/AJA department of the Oscar Lambret Centre for cancer (all types of cancer)
* Hospitalisation for several days
* Highly emetogenic chemotherapy treatment: this corresponds to all in-patient treatments carried out in the Paediatrics/AJA department.
* Age at diagnosis : ≥ 8 years and \< 18 years.
* French language
* Information for the patient and those with parental authority; consent signed by the patient and those with parental authority.
* Valid social security cover

Exclusion Criteria:

* Contraindication to SNOEZELEN:

  * Claustrophobia
  * Presence of psychiatric, addictive or cognitive disorders that would prevent compliance with the protocol requirements;
* State of health not allowing participation in the study (severe fatigue, symptoms refractory to treatment).
* Pregnant or breast-feeding women

Where this trial is running

Lille

• Centre Oscar Lambret — Lille, France (RECRUITING)

Study contacts

• Study coordinator: Fanny BEN OUNE

Conditions: Snoezelen, Pediatric Cancer, Symptomatologie Anxieuse, Chimiothérapie