Immersive Technology and Virtual Reality as a Health Support Tool in a Residence for the Elderly

NCT ID: NCT06117319

Last Updated: 2025-08-27

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 34 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2023-02-27
• Study Completion Date: 2024-04-16

Brief Summary

The purpose of this clinical trial is to learn more about the potential for using virtual reality in older adults living in residences for elderly to maintain health (physical activity, cognitive activity, social behaviors). The main questions it aims to answer are:

• To what extent can virtual reality be a tool to support health in older adults?
• What are the support needs of older adults in learning to use this immersive technology?

Participants are invited to complete 5 weekly training sessions on the use of a virtual reality headset. At the beginning and end of each session, participants will complete a questionnaire on their perception of their experience. During the sessions, the participants are asked to test games that mobilize the upper limbs. Two learning modalities are set up in two separate groups. These modalities aim to test two different support formulas in order to compare the support needs of the elderly in the use and integration of virtual reality to support the activities and health of this population.

Conditions

Aging Well

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: SUPPORTIVE_CARE
• Blinding Strategy: NONE

Study Groups

Individual assistance

5 sessions with individual assistance

The Virtual Reality (VR) activity will take the form of five (5) weekly training sessions.

• Session 1(day 1): Basics of VR.
• Session 2(day 8): 1-multiplayer game mode.
• Session 3(day 15): Playing with a library. Browsing a library
• Session 4(day 22): 2-individual game mode.
• Session 5(day 29): Game practice.

For each session, in small groups of 3 people, it will be proposed to test games requiring only movements of the upper limbs of low to moderate intensity. Sitting will be mandatory for the tests in order to avoid falls.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Individual assistance Virtual reality training sessions

Intervention Type: OTHER

5 virtual reality training sessions where feedback will be provided to each individual by the research team

Collective assistance

4 sessions with collective assistance and 1 session with individual assistance (session 5)

The Virtual Reality (VR) activity will take the form of five (5) training sessions.

• Session 1(day 1): Basics of VR.
• Session 2(day 8): 1-multiplayer game mode.
• Session 3(day 15): Playing with a library. Browsing a library
• Session 4(day 22): 2-individual game mode.
• Session 5(day 29): Game practice.

For each session, in small groups of 3 people, it will be proposed to test games requiring only movements of the upper limbs of low to moderate intensity. Sitting will be mandatory for the tests in order to avoid falls.

The collective assistance group was abandonned because tests revealed issues with ability of participants to help each other during VR sessions. No participants were ever assigned to this group.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Collective assistance Virtual reality training sessions

Intervention Type: OTHER

4 virtual reality training sessions where feedback will be provided to the whole group by the research team and 1 session where feedback will be individual. No participant was ever assigned to this intervention.

Interventions

Individual assistance Virtual reality training sessions

5 virtual reality training sessions where feedback will be provided to each individual by the research team

Intervention Type: OTHER

Collective assistance Virtual reality training sessions

4 virtual reality training sessions where feedback will be provided to the whole group by the research team and 1 session where feedback will be individual. No participant was ever assigned to this intervention.

Intervention Type: OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Independent person living in the sponsor's retirement home

Exclusion Criteria

• Having a pacemaker
• Being at risk for epilepsy

• Minimum Eligible Age: 64 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, Canada

OTHER

Sponsor Role: collaborator

SEC Fonds Immobilier Groupe Maurice

UNKNOWN

Sponsor Role: collaborator

TOPMED

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Responsibility Role: SPONSOR

Locations

Edith Martin

Québec, Quebec, Canada

Countries

Canada

Provided Documents

Document Type: Study Protocol

View Document

Document Type: Informed Consent Form

View Document

Other Identifiers

RD-277_VR and elderly

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id