Nature Video to Improve Older Adult Health: A Feasibility Study.

NCT ID: NCT03722316

Last Updated: 2022-04-04

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: TERMINATED
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 25 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2019-01-14
• Study Completion Date: 2022-02-03

Brief Summary

Background: Exposure to nature has a positive impact on a multitude of health-related outcomes such as stress, attention, recovery after surgery, and overall well-being. There is growing interest in determining the impact of vicarious nature experiences delivered through multimedia platforms on the well-being of persons at high risk for poor psychosocial outcomes, as is the case in older adults diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or mild dementia.

Objectives/Purpose: The primary purpose of this study is to assess the feasibility of providing an immersive nature-based multimedia experience to older adults with MCI or mild dementia. A secondary purpose is to identify the potential health benefits of this intervention.

Methodology: A convenience sample of 40 older adults (65+ years old) with and without mild cognitive complaints will be recruited from a Los Angeles senior service partner. Participation will include three visits. The first visit will include the consent process, cognitive testing, and questionnaire completion. The second and third visits will consist of a video session followed immediately by a group discussion regarding the content in the videos. The two video sessions will be administered in a randomized and counterbalanced manner one week apart. One video involves a 15-minute immersive nature-based experience and the other includes a 15-minute clip that presents emotionally "neutral" educational content. Both sessions will be immediately followed by a group discussion of the content in the videos and how it relates to past experiences.

Outcomes and Analysis: Process evaluation data associated with recruitment, screening eligibility, involvement of personnel, assessment administration, and retention will be collected to determine overall study feasibility. Additionally, selected assessments will be administered at each multimedia experience during key time points to examine potential short-term health benefits.

Conditions

Mild Dementia; Mild Cognitive Impairment

Study Design

• Allocation Method: NON_RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: CROSSOVER
• Primary Study Purpose: TREATMENT
• Blinding Strategy: NONE

Study Groups

MCI/Mild Dementia

Twenty participants will be allocated to this arm if they demonstrate mild impairments in cognition based on a cognitive screening phase. Participants enrolled in this arm will be arranged in groups of 5. They will attend a paperwork visit and two video-viewing sessions (order is randomized) held approximately one week apart: (1) brief immersive nature-based video experience + group discussion and (2) comparison condition that includes presentation of a relatively "neutral," un-arousing documentary + group discussion. Each video lasts approximately 15 minutes. Using a semi-structured group discussion guide, participants will be prompted to talk about what they saw in the video and relate video content to their own lives and experiences.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Immersive Nature Video

Intervention Type: OTHER

An approximately 15-minute digital nature experience using work by filmmaker Louie Schwartzberg-Visual Healing by Moving Art. Time-lapse, high-speed, and macro cinematography are incorporated within each video. Audiovisual content include vivid imagery of a variety of ecosystems and climates accompanied by calming instrumental music.

Both the MCI/Mild dementia arm and the healthy older adult arm will experience this intervention.

Neutral Video

Intervention Type: OTHER

This video will include clips from relatively non-arousing educational documentaries. Fifteen minutes of documentary content will be selected from a longer video, ensuring that the content remains as neutral as possible. Video selections were modeled after the work from Eryilmaz, Van De Ville, Schwartz, and Vuilleumier (2011) who identified very brief movie clips (i.e., <1 minute) that were rated as neutral as opposed to frightful or enjoyable.

Both the MCI/Mild dementia arm and the healthy older adult arm will experience this intervention.

Healthy Older Adults

Participants are allocated to this arm if they demonstrate healthy cognition based on a cognitive screening phase. Participants enrolled in this arm will be arranged in groups of 5. They will attend a paperwork visit and two video-viewing sessions (order is randomized) held approximately one week apart: (1) brief immersive nature-based video experience + group discussion and (2) comparison condition that includes presentation of a relatively "neutral," un-arousing documentary + group discussion. Each video lasts approximately 15 minutes. Using a semi-structured group discussion guide, participants will be prompted to talk about what they saw in the video and relate video content to their own lives and experiences.

Group Type: ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Immersive Nature Video

Intervention Type: OTHER

An approximately 15-minute digital nature experience using work by filmmaker Louie Schwartzberg-Visual Healing by Moving Art. Time-lapse, high-speed, and macro cinematography are incorporated within each video. Audiovisual content include vivid imagery of a variety of ecosystems and climates accompanied by calming instrumental music.

Both the MCI/Mild dementia arm and the healthy older adult arm will experience this intervention.

Neutral Video

Intervention Type: OTHER

This video will include clips from relatively non-arousing educational documentaries. Fifteen minutes of documentary content will be selected from a longer video, ensuring that the content remains as neutral as possible. Video selections were modeled after the work from Eryilmaz, Van De Ville, Schwartz, and Vuilleumier (2011) who identified very brief movie clips (i.e., <1 minute) that were rated as neutral as opposed to frightful or enjoyable.

Both the MCI/Mild dementia arm and the healthy older adult arm will experience this intervention.

Interventions

Immersive Nature Video

An approximately 15-minute digital nature experience using work by filmmaker Louie Schwartzberg-Visual Healing by Moving Art. Time-lapse, high-speed, and macro cinematography are incorporated within each video. Audiovisual content include vivid imagery of a variety of ecosystems and climates accompanied by calming instrumental music.

Both the MCI/Mild dementia arm and the healthy older adult arm will experience this intervention.

Intervention Type: OTHER

Neutral Video

This video will include clips from relatively non-arousing educational documentaries. Fifteen minutes of documentary content will be selected from a longer video, ensuring that the content remains as neutral as possible. Video selections were modeled after the work from Eryilmaz, Van De Ville, Schwartz, and Vuilleumier (2011) who identified very brief movie clips (i.e., <1 minute) that were rated as neutral as opposed to frightful or enjoyable.

Both the MCI/Mild dementia arm and the healthy older adult arm will experience this intervention.

Intervention Type: OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Speaks and understands English
• Mild cognitive impairment/mild dementia or normal cognition
• Minor complaints with thinking or memory
• Demonstrate the cognitive capacity to understand and consent to research procedures and to communicate his/her decision

Exclusion Criteria

• Self-reported phobias that could be triggered by nature-based videos

• Minimum Eligible Age: 65 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

Front Porch Center for Innovation and Wellbeing

UNKNOWN

Sponsor Role: collaborator

University of Southern California

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Stacey L. Schepens Niemiec

Assistant Professor of Research

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Locations

Front Porch Center for Innovation and Wellbeing

Glendale, California, United States

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California, United States

Countries

United States

Other Identifiers

NatureFeasibility2018

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id