Overview
Virtual reality (VR) is an effective, safe, and non-pharmacological intervention for reducing anxiety, with strong scientific evidence and no known adverse effects. By providing relaxation and distraction, VR suppresses sympathetic nervous system activity while enhancing parasympathetic activity, thereby promoting a relaxation response.
VR immerses patients in a virtual environment, diverting attention from stressful clinical settings and reducing anxiety, fear, and worry. This psychological effect is accompanied by favorable physiological responses, including reductions in blood pressure (BP), heart rate (HR), and respiratory rate (RR), as well as improvements in peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO₂).
Previous studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of VR in reducing preoperative anxiety across various clinical settings. For example, VR has been shown to decrease anxiety in adult patients undergoing sternotomy, reduce anxiety before maxillofacial surgery, and provide anxiety relief comparable to progressive muscle relaxation during arthroscopic knee surgery. These findings support the use of VR as an accessible and cost-effective intervention for anxiety management.
In recent years, artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a valuable tool for analyzing complex clinical data and identifying patterns that may not be detected using conventional statistical methods. AI-supported analyses can integrate physiological measurements with patient-reported outcomes to provide a more comprehensive evaluation of intervention effectiveness.
Despite growing evidence supporting VR interventions, no previous study has evaluated the effectiveness of VR in patients undergoing coronary angiography using both conventional outcome measures and AI-supported analytical approaches. Therefore, this randomized controlled study aims to investigate the effects of a VR intervention on state anxiety and vital signs in patients undergoing coronary angiography while applying AI-supported analyses to improve the evaluation of intervention effectiveness.
Description
This randomized controlled study will investigate the effect of a virtual reality (VR) intervention on state anxiety and vital signs in patients undergoing coronary angiography.
Eligible patients scheduled for coronary angiography will be randomly assigned to either a VR intervention group or a control group. During the coronary angiography procedure, participants in the VR intervention group will use VR glasses for 15 minutes. The VR content will consist of relaxing audiovisual environments, including underwater museum, nature, and similar calming scenes. The intervention is designed to provide visual and auditory distraction and promote relaxation during the procedure.
Participants in the control group will receive routine care during coronary angiography without the VR intervention.
State anxiety will be assessed using the State Anxiety Scale at predefined assessment points. Vital signs, including blood pressure, heart rate, respiratory rate, and peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO₂), will be measured and recorded before, during, and after coronary angiography.
The primary outcome of the study is the change in state anxiety associated with the VR intervention. Secondary outcomes include changes in vital signs, including blood pressure, heart rate, respiratory rate, and peripheral oxygen saturation.
In addition to conventional statistical analyses, artificial intelligence-supported analyses will be performed using the collected clinical and physiological data to identify patterns and further evaluate the effects of the VR intervention. The study aims to determine whether a 15-minute VR intervention during coronary angiography can reduce state anxiety and positively influence physiological responses compared with routine care.
Eligibility
Inclusion Criteria: Patients who will undergo coronary angiography or pacemaker implantation, Not to receive sedation during the procedure, Written and verbal acceptance to participate in the study,
- Are over 18 years of age,
- Do not have any psychiatric illness,
- Do not have any vision, hearing or perception problems,
- Are at least a primary school graduate,
- Do not have any disorder/disease affecting decision-making ability (dementia, psychological disorder, etc.)
- Volunteer to participate in the study,
- Are open to communication and cooperation.
Exclusion Criteria:
- Patients who receive sedation, patients who cannot communicate, patients with visual or hearing impairments, and individuals who do not agree to participate in the research will be included.
