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Completed

NCT Number: NCT04678778

Virtual Reality Study - COVID-19 Protocol

The overarching goal of this pilot clinical trial is to use a novel virtual reality (VR)-based intervention that simultaneously engages physical and cognitive activity aimed at improving brain and cognitive outcomes in older adults. Physical activity is a promising lifestyle intervention for mitigating cognitive decline or delaying onset of dementia. However, to fully leverage beneficial brain effects of physical activity, training the brain to learn and engage in a cognitively stimulating environment may be the key to enhanced brain and cognitive outcomes.

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Key information

Conditions

Healthy Aging Behavior Motor Activity

Age range

50 year–85 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute of the University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California, 90033, United States

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • 50-85 Years Old
  • Able to Walk Without Assistance
  • Fluent in English
  • No Ferromagnetic Metal in Body
  • Able to Participate in Moderate Aerobic Physical Activity

Exclusion criteria

  • Severe Brain Injury/ Head Trauma
  • Pacemakers or Metal Implants
  • Claustrophobia
  • Contradictions to Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)/ Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Brain Scans
  • Opposition to Blood Draws

Treatment and study plan

Physical and Cognitive Activity

Behavioral

There are three sessions a week for the course of 12 weeks. Each session consists of 5 trials.

Primary outcomes

  1. Magnetic Resonance Image (MRI) brain scan of hippocampal volume (cubic mm)

    Time frame: 12 weeks

    The hippocampus has been shown to be a selectively vulnerable region in Alzheimer's Disease (AD), and several studies, including our own, identified a dysfunctional brain signal in the hippocampus in Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) patients. We propose to examine the effects of exercise on remediating this hyperactive signal exhibited in MCI patients.

  2. Mnemonic Similarity Task for visual memory performance - discrimination index

    Time frame: 12 weeks

    With the study's primary focus on hippocampal function, we will use the Mnemonic Separation Task (MST), a hippocampus-dependent discrimination test of similar objects, as our primary cognitive outcome.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University of Southern California

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Targeted Physical and Cognitive Activity in a VR Environment - COVID-19 Protocol

Acronym: NRVR

Important dates

Study start
2019
Primary completion
2021
Study completion
2021
First posted
Dec 22, 2020
Registry last updated
Apr 29, 2021

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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