R61/33 - VR Study Phase 4
For patients and families
In plain language
An automatic summary of structured registry data. It is an orientation aid, not a substitute for the official protocol or a physician assessment.
- What is being studied
- The protocol lists: Meta Quest 3 VR Headset with noise cancelling headphones.
- Who it may be relevant to
- Registry conditions: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Basic parameters: 18 years — 25 years · All.
- What needs checking
- Age, condition and sex are only basic indicators. Prior treatment, laboratory values and other mandatory requirements appear in the eligibility criteria below.
- Where it takes place
- United States
- Next step
- Save the trial, show it to the treating physician, and confirm current recruitment with the study center. Costs, documents and travel →
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Official title
Development of a Novel Virtual Reality Treatment for Emerging Adults With ADHD
Overview
The goal of this larger parallel group randomized trial is to test the impact of a virtual reality program for improving the ability of emerging adults (age 18-25) with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) to stay focused while completing homework and studying. This study compares the impact of using a virtual reality headset to using a virtual reality headset while also receiving feedback about levels of focus to a control group. The main question is whether participants demonstrate significantly improved concentration while completing homework and studying in virtual reality and whether they enjoy and prefer working in a virtual reality environment. Concentration is measured both through participant report and also using keyboard and mouse click data to assess work productivity objectively.
Detailed description
This study involves a parallel randomized control trial (RCT) to assess the feasibility/usability and preliminary effects of a virtual reality (VR) environment alone compared to VR environment + feedback about focus and to a VR passthrough control. Phase 4 will follow the same procedures as Phase 3 except instead of n=45, we will randomize n=252 (note, number who consent is higher, to account for those found not eligible after consenting). Proposed mechanisms of action will be measured every session, including data on keyboard and mouse clicks plus self-ratings of concentration, homework effort, and homework motivation. After completing the initial diagnostic evaluation and confirming eligibility, emerging adults with ADHD (ages 18-25) will be randomized to 1 of 3 groups and then provided with a VR headset and computer to use in their dorm/home. Randomization will be performed (1:1:1) to the three conditions. Randomization will be blocked on ADHD medication status to ensure an equal number of participants taking and not taking ADHD medication in each group. Phase 4 includes a 2-session baseline where all participants complete homework and study without using the VR headset.
Group 1, VR passthrough: After completing the two session baseline, participants will use the VR headset in their room/home or the library 10 times over two weeks (max twice a day with a minimum 2-hour break) for 1-hour sessions each time. The participant will wear the headset, but it will not be used as usual. The headset will be in "VR passthrough" mode, meaning the participant will see through to the normal environment and laptop (i.e., they can see the real world around them, just wearing a headset).
Group 2, VR environment only: After completing the two session baseline, participants will use the VR headset in their room/home or the library 10 times over two weeks (max twice a day with a minimum 2-hour break) for 1-hour sessions each time. For the following sessions, the participant will wear the VR headset and engage in homework in the VR environment.
Group 2, VR environment + feedback: After completing the two session baseline, participants will use the VR headset in their room/home or the 10 times over two weeks (max twice a day with a minimum 2-hour break) for 1-hour sessions each time. For the following sessions, the participant will wear the VR headset and engage in homework in the VR environment while receiving real time visual feedback on performance and focus.
Participants concentration, effort/efficiency, and motivation is assessed each baseline and VR session, and participants answer questions about VR feasibility, useability, and acceptability.
Interventions
- Behavioral Meta Quest 3 VR Headset with noise cancelling headphones
Wearing the headset and headphones removes all outside audio and visual distractions. One of the groups receives frequent and consistent feedback about work productivity similar to behavioral interventions for ADHD.
Primary outcome measures
- Concentration [Time frame: Measured at baseline assessment and immediately after each of the 12 VR intervention sessions (taking place over an estimated 2 weeks-1 month)]
- On-task Behavior [Time frame: Measured throughout the 60-minute duration of each of the 12 VR intervention sessions (taking place over an estimated 2 weeks-1 month)]
Secondary outcome measures (2)
- Motivation [Time frame: Measured at baseline assessment and immediately after each of the 12 VR intervention sessions (taking place over an estimated 2 weeks-1 month)]
- Effort [Time frame: Measured at baseline assessment and immediately after each of the 12 VR intervention sessions (taking place over an estimated 2 weeks-1 month)]
Eligibility criteria
Inclusion criteria
- Participants must meet DSM-5 criteria for ADHD
- Between the ages of 18 and 25
- Given high rates of comorbidities in college students with ADHD, participants who meet criteria for ODD, anxiety or depressive disorders on the diagnostic interview are not excluded
- Participants must have an item mean score of >2.0 (often or very often) on the homework task specific version of the Adult Concentration Index (ACI), ensuring the presence of a problem in the mechanism being targeted in this study
- The participant has to endorse a total of at least 5 symptoms in the ADHD inattention domain as currently present and impairing and at least 6 symptoms in the ADHD inattention domain as present and impairing during childhood
- To rule out exclusionary conditions and/or to assess for the presence of comorbid conditions, psychological functioning will be assessed using the DSM-5 version of the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM Disorders (SCID-5-RV)
Exclusion criteria
- Whether primary or not, the comorbid presence of several other conditions will be exclusionary.This includes autism spectrum disorders, bipolar disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, active substance abuse, and other psychiatric conditions whose treatment precludes participation in the study.
- Students who do not meet criteria for ADHD are not eligible
- Students who are not in the specified age range are also not eligible to participate
- Students with a history of seizures are not eligible to participate given the use of VR
Criteria are shown verbatim from the registry (in English). Final eligibility is always assessed by the study center.
Healthy volunteers: No
Study design
- Allocation
- Randomized
- Model
- Parallel assignment
- Masking
- Open label
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
Study locations
United States · 2 centers
- Louisiana State University — Baton Rouge
- Rutgers University - New Brunswick — New Brunswick
Identifiers
NCT: NCT07169760 · Pro2023001005.phase 4 · R61MH131632-01