Skip to main content
OpenTrials
Enrolling by invitation

NCT Number: NCT07769385

Robotic and Aquarium Fish for Reducing Pain, Fear, and Anxiety in Children

This study aims to find out whether robotic fish and aquarium fish can help reduce pain, fear, and anxiety in children during painful medical procedures.

The main questions this study aims to answer are:

Does watching robotic fish during a painful procedure reduce children's pain, fear, and anxiety? Does watching aquarium fish during a painful procedure reduce children's pain, fear, and anxiety? Are there differences in pain, fear, and anxiety between children receiving these interventions? During the painful procedure, children in the intervention groups will watch either robotic fish or aquarium fish as a distraction. Children's pain, fear, and anxiety levels will be assessed using age-appropriate measurement tools. Researchers will compare the results between the study groups to determine whether robotic fish or aquarium fish can help children feel more comfortable during painful medical procedures.

The findings may provide information about simple, non-drug methods that nurses and other health care providers can use to help reduce children's negative experiences during painful procedures.

Enrolling by invitation

Interested in participating?

Request Info

Key information

Conditions

Anxiety Anxiety Disorders Child Fear Mental Disorders Neurologic Manifestations Pain Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms Signs and Symptoms

Age range

5 year–10 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Bingöl State Hospital

Bingoel, Turkey, 12000, Turkey (Türkiye)

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Being between the ages of 5 and 10, and
  • Being subjected to painful procedures.

Exclusion criteria

  • The child has a physical disability, and
  • There are circumstances that prevent the child's facial expressions from being clearly visible.

Treatment and study plan

Robotic Fish

Other

Children assigned to this group will watch live fish swimming in an aquarium during the painful procedure. The aquarium will be used as a visual distraction to divert the child's attention from the procedure and potentially reduce pain, fear, and anxiety.

Primary outcomes

  1. Pain Level Assessed Using the Wong-Baker FACES Pain Rating Scale

    Time frame: Immediately after completion of the painful procedure

    Children's pain intensity during the painful procedure will be assessed using the Wong-Baker FACES Pain Rating Scale. The scale ranges from 0 to 10, with higher scores indicating greater pain intensity.

  2. Fear Level Assessed Using the Children's Fear Scale

    Time frame: Immediately before the intervention and immediately after completion of the painful procedure

    Children's procedure-related fear will be assessed using the Children's Fear Scale (CFS). The scale consists of five facial expressions representing increasing levels of fear and is scored from 0 to 4. A score of 0 indicates no fear and a score of 4 indicates extreme fear. Higher scores indicate greater fear.

  3. Anxiety Level Assessed Using the Children's Anxiety Meter-State

    Time frame: Immediately before the intervention and immediately after completion of the painful procedure

    Children's state anxiety related to the painful procedure will be assessed using the Children's Anxiety Meter-State (CAM-S). The scale is scored from 0 to 10, with higher scores indicating greater state anxiety.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Inonu University

Other

Registry information

Official study title

The Effects of Robotic Fish and Aquarium Fish Interventions on Fear, Pain, and Anxiety in Children During Painful Procedures

Important dates

Study start
2026
Primary completion
2026
Study completion
2026
First posted
Aug 18, 2026
Registry last updated
Aug 18, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

Related clinical trials

Published trials that share one or more normalized conditions with this study.