Calming bubble audiovisual stimulus for paediatric anxiety research

This record archives an audiovisual stimulus designed for use in research on non-pharmacological anxiety reduction in children. The stimulus has not yet been evaluated in a published trial. This deposit archives the stimulus for reference and citation; use of the stimulus in research, or any adaptation, requires permission from the author.

The stimulus is a 5-minute animated video depicting slow, drifting coloured bubbles against a low-contrast neutral background, accompanied by a matched soft ambient musical score. It was designed by the author in February 2026 using AI-assisted tools, to provide a standardised, age-appropriate, content-neutral visual–auditory distractor with consistent pacing and luminance.

The visual and auditory components were rhythmically co-paced: bubble motion speed and musical tempo were designed to align at a target beats-per-minute (BPM), with the final audio tempo measured using an independent BPM analysis tool (BPM Finder, https://bpm-finder.net/) to confirm the pacing fell within the intended range. The audio track ("Bubble 4") was generated using Suno AI and measured at 72 BPM.

The pacing system comprises three designed variants, each intended for a distinct target physiological state: A5 (high-arousal regulation), B5 (procedure cooperation — calm but alert, 70–80 BPM), and C5 (focused attention). The B5 variant is archived here as the version most relevant to paediatric procedural anxiety contexts.

The author is the sole creator and rights-holder of the audiovisual content. The stimulus is shared under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. The author retains all commercial rights and the right to authorise adaptations or derivative works. For commercial use, adaptation, or research collaboration, please contact the author.