Using Virtual Reality Travel to Reduce Loneliness in Older Adults
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: Virtual Reality Travel, Puzzle-Based Attention Control Activity.
- Who it may be relevant to
- Registry conditions: Loneliness, Older Adults (65 Years and Older), Virtual Reality, Leisure Activities. Basic parameters: from 65 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
Virtual Reality Travel (VRT) as a Loneliness Intervention for Older Adults: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial
Overview
This study aims to investigate whether and how virtual reality travel (VRT) can reduce loneliness among older adults. It will utilize a mixed-methods research design that combines an randomly assigned experiment with follow-up semi-structured interviews. This is a pilot study and it is essential to establish the feasibility and acceptability of the protocol, assess the tolerability of VR technology in this population prior to conducting a full-scale RCT, and generate preliminary effect size estimates to inform future sample size calculations.
Interventions
- Behavioral Virtual Reality Travel
Participants in the VR travel group experience a 13-minute-and-44-second VR tour of Bali Island, Indonesia. - Behavioral Puzzle-Based Attention Control Activity
Participants in the attention control group complete 13 minutes and 44 seconds symmetric puzzles featuring leaves, birds, and insects.
Primary outcome measures
- loneliness [Time frame: Baseline and following completion of the intervention session (approximately 20-30 minutes after baseline assessment)]
Secondary outcome measures (2)
- positive emotions [Time frame: Baseline and following completion of the intervention session (approximately 20-30 minutes after baseline assessment)]
- meaning in life [Time frame: Baseline and following completion of the intervention session (approximately 20-30 minutes after baseline assessment)]
Eligibility criteria
Inclusion criteria
- Adults aged 65 years or older
- Express willingness to engage with VR technology
Exclusion criteria
\- No self-reported physical, sensory, neurological, or cognitive conditions that would make VR use unsafe or impractical (e.g., uncontrolled seizures, severe vertigo, or significant uncorrected vision/hearing impairments).
Criteria are shown verbatim from the registry (in English). Final eligibility is always assessed by the study center.
Healthy volunteers: Yes
Study design
- Allocation
- Randomized
- Model
- Parallel assignment
- Masking
- Open label
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
Study locations
United States · 3 centers
- Evergreen Village at Bloomington — Bloomington
- Bell Trace — Bloomington
- Area 10 Agency on Aging — Ellettsville
Identifiers
NCT: NCT07644416 · IUB-VRTPilot-2026