Emotional DistressMystic PetNCT06922032
A Novel Auditory Application for Distraction in Pediatric Patients
A study testing Mystics Pet in people with Emotional Distress, run by Stanford University at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
This mixed-methods study seeks to evaluate the feasibility of Mystic Pets software and hardware within the pediatric population. This study will take place at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital (Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA). Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 4 to 17 years
- Conditions the study is for
- Emotional Distress
- What is being tested?
- Mystics Pet
- Type of treatment
- Medical device
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 20 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 1 Dec 2026to 30 Jan 2028
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 4 to 17 years
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Child
Who may be able to join
- Between 4-17 years
- English speaking participants
Who cannot join
- Legal guardian not present to obtain consent
- Child with hearing impairment
- Child with a significant neurological condition, or major developmental disability
- Child with facial abnormalities or injuries prohibiting use of headsets
- Nausea at the time of recruitment,
- A history of severe motion sickness,
- A history of seizures
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
United States1 site
Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Stanford
Palo Alto, California, 94304
Thomas J Caruso, MD, MEd, 650-723-5728, tjcaruso@stanford.edu
About this study
Official title: A Novel Auditory Application for Distraction in Pediatric Patients: A Pilot Feasibility and Acceptability Study
This mixed-methods study seeks to evaluate the feasibility of Mystic Pets software and hardware within the pediatric population. This study will take place at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital (Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA).
Read the detailed description
Hospitalized children often experience emotional distress related to medical procedures, unfamiliar environments, and limited control over their situations. Existing distraction techniques, such as traditional videos and gaming, often rely heavily on visual interfaces, which can be limiting in clinical contexts. Current immersive technology software and hardware for procedural distraction rely on partial to complete immersion in a computer-generated environment to the real world. While immersive technology can reduce emotional distress with distraction, some patients experience increased distress due to loss of visual connection with their surroundings and/or caregivers. Using a head-mounted device and hand-gesture inputs, Mystic Pets maintains visual contact with a person's surroundings while gameplay is advanced through audio input and hand-gestures.
This research will significantly contribute to the growing field of digital therapeutics by providing early-stage data on a novel, immersive technology tailored to pediatric clinical care. If proven feasible, Mystic Pets could expand the toolkit available for procedural distraction, enhance patient comfort, and reduce the reliance on pharmacological interventions for emotion distress management.
The study also aims to establish preliminary engagement and usability benchmarks to guide future development and deployment of similar technologies in hospital environments.
- Conditions
- Emotional Distress
- Being tested
- Mystics Pet
- Keywords
- Game engagement, Awe, Procedural Distraction
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Mystics PetDevice
Participants will receive the game intervention and be instructed to wear a Oculus Quest 2 headset (Meta, Inc., Menlo Park, CA) and participate in Mystic Pets software game (Stanford Chariot Program, Palo Alto, CA) that is specifically designed to promote overall distraction and emotional distress reduction.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Mystics Pets group | Experimental | Not described Receives: Device: Mystics Pet |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Feasibility of Mystics Pets, based on an unpublished focus group interview guide at the Department of Anesthesiology, Stanford University
Participants will provide qualitative feedback on the acceptability and feasibility of the use of Mystics Pets. Example question will include: "Can you please tell me about your experience?"
Measured: immediately after intervention
Secondary outcomes (4)
ISO Ergonomic scale
The scale has 6 items. Scores ranges from 1-5 (1 = strongly disagree and 5 = strongly agree)
Measured: immediately after intervention
System Usability Scale (SUS) Score
The scale has 10 items. Scores ranges from 1-5 (1 = strongly disagree and 5 = strongly agree)
Measured: immediately after intervention
Game Engagement score
Game Engagement score measured by Game Engagement Questionnaire. The scale has 16 items. Scores ranges from 1-5 (1 = strongly disagree and 5 = strongly agree)
Measured: immediately after intervention
Evaluate awe levels measured by Awe Experience Scale - Short Form
The scale has 12 items. Scores ranges from 1-7 (1 = strongly disagree and 7 = strongly agree)
Measured: immediately after intervention
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted10 Apr 2025
- Study start1 Dec 2026 (estimated)
- Primary completion30 Jan 2028 (estimated)
- Study completion30 Jan 2028 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Emotional DistressStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by Stanford UniversityThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Supportive care
- Allocation
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 20 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Stanford University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Thomas Caruso, Stanford University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06922032
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 80354
- Acronym
- Mystic Pet
- Status last verified
- Aug 2026
- First submitted
- 3 Apr 2025
- Last updated
- 18 Aug 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 18 Aug 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- A Novel Auditory Application for Distraction in Pediatric Patients: A Pilot Feasibility and Acceptability Study
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06922032
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- Mystic Pet / 80354
- Conditions
- Emotional Distress
- Keywords
- Game engagement, Awe, Procedural Distraction
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Not yet recruiting
- Enrolment
- 20 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Stanford UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 1 Dec 2026 (estimated)
- Primary completion
- 30 Jan 2028 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 30 Jan 2028 (estimated)
- First posted
- 10 Apr 2025 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
This mixed-methods study seeks to evaluate the feasibility of Mystic Pets software and hardware within the pediatric population. This study will take place at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital (Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA).
Detailed description
Hospitalized children often experience emotional distress related to medical procedures, unfamiliar environments, and limited control over their situations. Existing distraction techniques, such as traditional videos and gaming, often rely heavily on visual interfaces, which can be limiting in clinical contexts. Current immersive technology software and hardware for procedural distraction rely on partial to complete immersion in a computer-generated environment to the real world. While immersive technology can reduce emotional distress with distraction, some patients experience increased distress due to loss of visual connection with their surroundings and/or caregivers. Using a head-mounted device and hand-gesture inputs, Mystic Pets maintains visual contact with a person's surroundings while gameplay is advanced through audio input and hand-gestures.
This research will significantly contribute to the growing field of digital therapeutics by providing early-stage data on a novel, immersive technology tailored to pediatric clinical care. If proven feasible, Mystic Pets could expand the toolkit available for procedural distraction, enhance patient comfort, and reduce the reliance on pharmacological interventions for emotion distress management.
The study also aims to establish preliminary engagement and usability benchmarks to guide future development and deployment of similar technologies in hospital environments.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Supportive care
- Allocation
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 1
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Mystics Pets group | Experimental | Device: Mystics Pet |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 4 to 17 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Child
Key inclusion criteria (2 listed)
- Between 4-17 years
- English speaking participants
Key exclusion criteria (7 listed)
- Legal guardian not present to obtain consent
- Child with hearing impairment
- Child with a significant neurological condition, or major developmental disability
- Child with facial abnormalities or injuries prohibiting use of headsets
- Nausea at the time of recruitment,
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Mystics PetParticipants will receive the game intervention and be instructed to wear a Oculus Quest 2 headset (Meta, Inc., Menlo Park, CA) and participate in Mystic Pets software game (Stanford Chariot Program, Palo Alto, CA) that is specifically designed to promote overall distraction and emotional distress reduction. | Device | Mystics Pets group |
Primary outcome
Feasibility of Mystics Pets, based on an unpublished focus group interview guide at the Department of Anesthesiology, Stanford University
Time frame: immediately after intervention
Participants will provide qualitative feedback on the acceptability and feasibility of the use of Mystics Pets. Example question will include: "Can you please tell me about your experience?"
4 secondary outcomes
ISO Ergonomic scale
Time frame: immediately after intervention
System Usability Scale (SUS) Score
Time frame: immediately after intervention
Game Engagement score
Time frame: immediately after intervention
Evaluate awe levels measured by Awe Experience Scale - Short Form
Time frame: immediately after intervention
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 18 Aug 2026.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Mystics Pet in people with Emotional Distress, run by Stanford University at 1 site in United States.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 2 inclusion and 7 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: opening soon, as of the sponsor's last update on 18 Aug 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Thomas Caruso, MD, PhD (6504970927, tjcaruso@stanford.edu), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Feasibility of Mystics Pets, based on an unpublished focus group interview guide at the Department of Anesthesiology, Stanford University (time frame: immediately after intervention). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 18 Aug 2026.