Trial Outcomes & Findings for Virtual Reality Behavioral Activation: An Intervention for Major Depressive Disorder (NCT NCT04268316)

NCT ID: NCT04268316

Last Updated: 2021-06-02

Results Overview

This outcome was measured using the "Intention to use Technology " questions of the Technology Acceptance Model questionnaire. These are questions 11, 12, and 13 and allow participants the option of circling Strongly Disagree (0), Disagree (1), Neutral (2), Agree (3), or Strongly Agree (4). With 3 questions, the total range was 0-12 (higher scores indicate greater acceptance).

Recruitment status

COMPLETED

Study phase

NA

Target enrollment

20 participants

Primary outcome timeframe

Assessed at the end of week 3, after session 4

Results posted on

2021-06-02

Participant Flow

20 participants signed consent, but only 13 participants were randomized to a study arm.

Participant milestones

Participant milestones
Measure
Virtual Reality Behavioral Activation
Participants engage in VR activities over the week for three weeks.
Behavioral Activation in Real-life
Participants engage in real life pleasurable activities over the week for three weeks.
Waitlist Control
Participants answer the PHQ-9 weekly for four sessions.
Overall Study
STARTED
5
4
4
Overall Study
COMPLETED
3
3
4
Overall Study
NOT COMPLETED
2
1
0

Reasons for withdrawal

Reasons for withdrawal
Measure
Virtual Reality Behavioral Activation
Participants engage in VR activities over the week for three weeks.
Behavioral Activation in Real-life
Participants engage in real life pleasurable activities over the week for three weeks.
Waitlist Control
Participants answer the PHQ-9 weekly for four sessions.
Overall Study
Withdrawal by Subject
2
1
0

Baseline Characteristics

Participants that completed the protocol are included in the analysis.

Baseline characteristics by cohort

Baseline characteristics by cohort
Measure
Virtual Reality Behavioral Activation
n=5 Participants
Participants engage in VR activities over the week for three weeks.
Behavioral Activation in Real-life
n=4 Participants
Participants engage in real life pleasurable activities over the week for three weeks.
Waitlist Control
n=4 Participants
Participants answer the PHQ-9 weekly for four sessions.
Total
n=13 Participants
Total of all reporting groups
Age, Continuous
31.6 years
STANDARD_DEVIATION 9.2 • n=5 Participants
46 years
STANDARD_DEVIATION 15.7 • n=4 Participants
29.5 years
STANDARD_DEVIATION 5.2 • n=4 Participants
35.4 years
STANDARD_DEVIATION 12.3 • n=13 Participants
Sex/Gender, Customized
male
1 Participants
n=5 Participants
3 Participants
n=4 Participants
1 Participants
n=4 Participants
5 Participants
n=13 Participants
Sex/Gender, Customized
female
4 Participants
n=5 Participants
1 Participants
n=4 Participants
2 Participants
n=4 Participants
7 Participants
n=13 Participants
Sex/Gender, Customized
non-binary/third gender
0 Participants
n=5 Participants
0 Participants
n=4 Participants
1 Participants
n=4 Participants
1 Participants
n=13 Participants
Race/Ethnicity, Customized
Non-Hispanic Caucasian
3 Participants
n=5 Participants
3 Participants
n=4 Participants
1 Participants
n=4 Participants
7 Participants
n=13 Participants
Race/Ethnicity, Customized
Chinese
1 Participants
n=5 Participants
1 Participants
n=4 Participants
0 Participants
n=4 Participants
2 Participants
n=13 Participants
Race/Ethnicity, Customized
Indian
1 Participants
n=5 Participants
0 Participants
n=4 Participants
0 Participants
n=4 Participants
1 Participants
n=13 Participants
Race/Ethnicity, Customized
African American
0 Participants
n=5 Participants
0 Participants
n=4 Participants
1 Participants
n=4 Participants
1 Participants
n=13 Participants
Race/Ethnicity, Customized
Mexican
0 Participants
n=5 Participants
0 Participants
n=4 Participants
1 Participants
n=4 Participants
1 Participants
n=13 Participants
Race/Ethnicity, Customized
Hispanic/Latino
0 Participants
n=5 Participants
0 Participants
n=4 Participants
1 Participants
n=4 Participants
1 Participants
n=13 Participants
Region of Enrollment
United States
5 Participants
n=5 Participants
4 Participants
n=4 Participants
4 Participants
n=4 Participants
13 Participants
n=13 Participants
Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9)
14.3 score on a scale
STANDARD_DEVIATION 5.7 • n=3 Participants • Participants that completed the protocol are included in the analysis.
15.3 score on a scale
STANDARD_DEVIATION 4.9 • n=3 Participants • Participants that completed the protocol are included in the analysis.
14 score on a scale
STANDARD_DEVIATION 4.1 • n=4 Participants • Participants that completed the protocol are included in the analysis.
14.5 score on a scale
STANDARD_DEVIATION 4.3 • n=10 Participants • Participants that completed the protocol are included in the analysis.

PRIMARY outcome

Timeframe: Assessed at the end of week 3, after session 4

Population: This outcome measure was assessed in the Virtual Reality Behavioral Activation group only.

This outcome was measured using the "Intention to use Technology " questions of the Technology Acceptance Model questionnaire. These are questions 11, 12, and 13 and allow participants the option of circling Strongly Disagree (0), Disagree (1), Neutral (2), Agree (3), or Strongly Agree (4). With 3 questions, the total range was 0-12 (higher scores indicate greater acceptance).

Outcome measures

Outcome measures
Measure
Virtual Reality Behavioral Activation
n=5 Participants
Participants engage in VR activities over the week for three weeks.
Behavioral Activation in Real-life
Participants engage in real life pleasurable activities over the week for three weeks.
Waitlist Control
Participants answer the PHQ-9 weekly for four sessions.
Participant's Desire to Continue Using VR After the Study Ends
9.54 score on a scale
Standard Deviation 2.5

PRIMARY outcome

Timeframe: 3-weeks

Participant treatment dropout was compared across each study arm. This was reported as the count of participants who discontinued the study for any reason.

Outcome measures

Outcome measures
Measure
Virtual Reality Behavioral Activation
n=5 Participants
Participants engage in VR activities over the week for three weeks.
Behavioral Activation in Real-life
n=4 Participants
Participants engage in real life pleasurable activities over the week for three weeks.
Waitlist Control
n=4 Participants
Participants answer the PHQ-9 weekly for four sessions.
Number of Participants Who Dropped Out of Each Study Arm
2 Participants
1 Participants
0 Participants

PRIMARY outcome

Timeframe: Assessed at the end of week 3, after session 4

Population: This outcome measure was assessed in the Virtual Reality Behavioral Activation group only.

This outcome was measured using the "Attitudes Toward Use " questions of the Technology Acceptance Model questionnaire. These are questions 7, 8, 9, and 10 and allow participants the option of circling Strongly Disagree (0), Disagree (1), Neutral (2), Agree (3), or Strongly Agree (4). With 4 questions, the total range was 0-16 (higher scores indicate greater acceptance).

Outcome measures

Outcome measures
Measure
Virtual Reality Behavioral Activation
n=5 Participants
Participants engage in VR activities over the week for three weeks.
Behavioral Activation in Real-life
Participants engage in real life pleasurable activities over the week for three weeks.
Waitlist Control
Participants answer the PHQ-9 weekly for four sessions.
Participant's Satisfaction With the VR-BA Treatment
12.5 score on a scale
Standard Deviation 3.5

PRIMARY outcome

Timeframe: Assessed at the end of week 3, after session 4

Population: This outcome measure was assessed in the Virtual Reality Behavioral Activation group of protocol completers only.

This was measured by noting the amount of times the VR headset is used during the 3-week study period.

Outcome measures

Outcome measures
Measure
Virtual Reality Behavioral Activation
n=3 Participants
Participants engage in VR activities over the week for three weeks.
Behavioral Activation in Real-life
Participants engage in real life pleasurable activities over the week for three weeks.
Waitlist Control
Participants answer the PHQ-9 weekly for four sessions.
Participant's Use of the VR Headset
21.7 times used
Standard Deviation 11

PRIMARY outcome

Timeframe: Assessed at the end of week 3, after session 4

Population: This outcome measure was assessed in the Virtual Reality Behavioral Activation group only.

This was measured using the overall Technology Acceptance Model questionnaire, which encompasses 13 questions and allows participants the option of circling Strongly Disagree (0), Disagree (1), Neutral (2), Agree (3), or Strongly Agree (4), yielding a range of 0-52 (higher scores indicate greater acceptance).

Outcome measures

Outcome measures
Measure
Virtual Reality Behavioral Activation
n=5 Participants
Participants engage in VR activities over the week for three weeks.
Behavioral Activation in Real-life
Participants engage in real life pleasurable activities over the week for three weeks.
Waitlist Control
Participants answer the PHQ-9 weekly for four sessions.
Participant's Acceptance of VR-BA Treatment
42.4 score on a scale
Standard Deviation 8.4

PRIMARY outcome

Timeframe: Assessed at the end of week 3, after session 4

Population: This outcome measure was assessed in the Virtual Reality Behavioral Activation group only.

This was determined by the Simulator Sickness Questionnaire, which names 16 adverse symptoms and asks participants to circle as compared to baseline: No more than usual (0), Slightly more than usual (1), Moderately more than usual (2), or Severely more than usual (3), yielding a range of 0-48 (lower scores indicate greater tolerability).

Outcome measures

Outcome measures
Measure
Virtual Reality Behavioral Activation
n=5 Participants
Participants engage in VR activities over the week for three weeks.
Behavioral Activation in Real-life
Participants engage in real life pleasurable activities over the week for three weeks.
Waitlist Control
Participants answer the PHQ-9 weekly for four sessions.
How Well Can Participants Tolerate the VR-BA Treatment?
2.9 score on a scale
Interval 0.4 to 8.7

PRIMARY outcome

Timeframe: Assessed at the end of week 3, after session 4

Population: This outcome measure was assessed in the Virtual Reality Behavioral Activation group only.

This was measured using the Presence Questionnaire, which asks three questions and asks the participants to circle either Not at all (0), Slightly (1), Moderately (2), Strongly (3), or Very Strongly (4), yielding a range of 0-12 (higher scores indicate greater presence).

Outcome measures

Outcome measures
Measure
Virtual Reality Behavioral Activation
n=5 Participants
Participants engage in VR activities over the week for three weeks.
Behavioral Activation in Real-life
Participants engage in real life pleasurable activities over the week for three weeks.
Waitlist Control
Participants answer the PHQ-9 weekly for four sessions.
How Present Did Individuals in the VR-BA Treatment Feel?
7.1 score on a scale
Standard Deviation 2.8

SECONDARY outcome

Timeframe: Assessed at baseline and session 4.

Population: Protocol Completers

How participants' depression scores on the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) change over time using VR-BA compared to BA in real life and a waitlist control. The PHQ-9 is a 9-question screener with a score range of 0-29, with 29 indicating the most severe depression and 0 indicating a lack of depression symptoms. The greater the change over time, the greater the symptom reduction.

Outcome measures

Outcome measures
Measure
Virtual Reality Behavioral Activation
n=3 Participants
Participants engage in VR activities over the week for three weeks.
Behavioral Activation in Real-life
n=3 Participants
Participants engage in real life pleasurable activities over the week for three weeks.
Waitlist Control
n=4 Participants
Participants answer the PHQ-9 weekly for four sessions.
Change in Depression Scores on the PHQ-9 From Baseline to Session 4, Compared Across Three Study Arms
5.7 score on a scale
Interval 2.0 to 12.0
3 score on a scale
Interval 2.0 to 5.0
.25 score on a scale
Interval -5.0 to 3.0

Adverse Events

Virtual Reality Behavioral Activation

Serious events: 0 serious events
Other events: 0 other events
Deaths: 0 deaths

Behavioral Activation in Real-life

Serious events: 0 serious events
Other events: 0 other events
Deaths: 0 deaths

Waitlist Control

Serious events: 0 serious events
Other events: 0 other events
Deaths: 0 deaths

Serious adverse events

Adverse event data not reported

Other adverse events

Adverse event data not reported

Additional Information

Margot Paul

Stanford University

Phone: 415-625-3127

Results disclosure agreements

  • Principal investigator is a sponsor employee
  • Publication restrictions are in place