Tablets beat pills: study tests games over drugs for anxious kids
NCT ID NCT02192710
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study compared using an electronic tablet with age-appropriate games versus the sedative midazolam to reduce anxiety in children before outpatient surgery. 118 children aged 4 to 10 were randomly assigned to either play on a tablet or take midazolam. Researchers measured anxiety levels at key moments, like when separating from parents and during anesthesia mask induction.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- midazolam (Hypnovel®)
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could offer a non-drug way to calm children before surgery, avoiding side effects of medication.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, single-center study with only 118 children, so results may not apply to all hospitals or surgeries. The tablet's effect may vary by child.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
-
Phase 3
Large-scale testing in a bigger group. Usually the last step before a treatment can be approved.
- Participants
-
118 people
The number who actually took part.
- Start date
-
May 2013
- Finished
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Apr 2014
- Lead sponsor
-
Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
-
4 to 10 years
- Sex
-
Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
-
Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Girls and boys aged 4 to 10 years, * American Society of Anesthesiologists Score between 1 and 3, * programmed outpatient surgery for a short term and low level of pain * Infection with influenza A virus confirmed with a quick diagnostic test, * informed consent from both parents Exclusion Criteria: * patients younger than 4 or older than 10 years old * preexisting psychiatric disorder with pedo-psychiatric follow-up * children with intellectual disability * psychotropic referred to anxiolytic and / or antipsychotic * history of surgery (n\>=3) * refusal to participate
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As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Service d'anesthésie, Hôpital Femme Mère Enfant, Hospices Civils de Lyon
Bron, 69500, France