The Effects of Environmental Enrichment on Wound Healing in Healthy Participants

INTERVENTION: Intervention: Interaction with Environmental Enrichment Item Participants will be exposed to a tape stripping procedure which removes the top‐layer of skin through the repeated application of tape. The participant will have 20‐40 pieces of tape applied and gently removed from their forearm. This procedure is a non‐invasive and minimally painful method to assess wound healing in humans. After the tape‐stripping procedure has been performed, participants will be randomised to 1 of 4 conditions where they will (or will not) receive a different type of enrichment item. They will be asked to interact with this enrichment item during a 30 minute period, in order to examine whether the enrichment item improved wound healing over this period. There will be three different environmental enrichment items and a control group. The enrichment items include; (1) relaxing music which will be presented using a CD player and headphones, (2) materials in the form of soft blankets and pillows and (3) a seal companion robot, Paro. The Paro seal robot proposed for one of the conditions is a therapeutic robot designed to provide a safer alternative to animal‐assisted therapy. Paro uses sensors to respond to human contact in a socially supportive and comforting way and has a soft fur coat to provide tactile comfort All groups, including the control group, will also be provided with magazines to read. Reading magazines has been used previously as a control condition in similar trials. The researcher (a doctoral candidate) will introduce the item to the participants and explain what is going to happen. Participants will be asked to interact with their assigned condition over a 30 minute period where the researcher is not in the room. They will be video‐recorded during this period to ensure that they have interacted with their assigned item and have not interfered with their wound. The intervention will only be delivered to the participants in a one‐off 30 minute period. This procedure will occur in a research clinic at the University of Auckland CONDITION: Wound Healing PRIMARY OUTCOME: Change in trans‐epidermal water loss (TEWL) as measured using the Tewameter TM 300 SECONDARY OUTCOME: Changes in current anxiety levels as measured using 100mm visual analogue scales Changes in current pain levels as measured using 100mm visual analogue scales Changes in current relaxation levels as measured using 100mm visual analogue scales Changes in current stress levels as measured using 100mm visual analogue scales Changes in salivary alpha‐amylase Changes in salivary cortisol Mood as measured using a Modified version of the actual affect sub scale of the Affect Valuation Index INCLUSION CRITERIA: Over 16 years of age Can read and write in English fluently Can provide written informed consent