Preserving ability through virtual reality exercise (PAVE)

Preserving Ability Through Virtual Exercise (PAVE): An Intervention to Increase the Physical Activity of Hospitalized Older Adults

This project will test whether short virtual reality exercise sessions during a hospital stay help adults 55 and older keep their strength, mobility, and mood.

Quick facts

• Phase: NA
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 140 (estimated)
• Ages: 55 Years and up
• Sex: All
• Sponsor: University of Maryland, Baltimore (other)
• Locations: 1 site (Baltimore, Maryland)
• Trial ID: NCT07189286 on ClinicalTrials.gov

What this trial studies

Hospitalized older adults commonly lose muscle and function because they are inactive during their stay. This project randomly assigns patients admitted within 72 hours to a bedside virtual reality physical activity program (PAVE) or an education control to test feasibility and preliminary effects. Participants are age 55 or older, must be cleared by their bedside nurse, able to wear the headset, and able to follow commands; sessions are delivered at the bedside during hospitalization. Outcomes include activity levels, physical function, and mental health measures to determine whether VR can help maintain function and engagement while hospitalized.

Who should consider this trial

Good fit: Ideal candidates are hospitalized adults aged 55 or older admitted within the past 72 hours who can consent, follow commands, wear a VR headset, and are cleared by their bedside nurse.

Not a fit: Patients with significant cognitive impairment (MoCA ≤20), those unable to wear the headset or follow commands, those with medical devices or diagnoses that make activity unsafe, or those with an imminent discharge are unlikely to benefit.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could help hospitalized older adults maintain strength, mobility, and mood, potentially reducing complications, shortening recovery, and lowering readmissions.

How similar studies have performed: Some outpatient and rehabilitation studies have shown benefits of VR-based exercise for balance and engagement, but inpatient VR exercise is relatively novel and less well tested.

Eligibility criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

1. in the last 72 hours, they were admitted to the medical floor that is the setting of the study,
2. are 55 years or older,
3. their bedside nurse approves their physical activity participation in this study

Exclusion Criteria:

1. they are unable to pass the Evaluation to Sign Consent Measure,
2. they score 20 or lower on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment Basic,
3. they have an admitting diagnosis that could be worsened through virtual reality exercise,
4. they have an attached medical device that decreases the safety of physical activity such as a nasogastric tube or continuous fluids running through a PICC line that cannot be paused,
5. they are unable to follow commands or move their extremities against gravity during the UMove Mobility Assessment,
6. they are unable to wear the virtual reality headset,
7. they received the education control intervention or PAVE intervention during a prior admission,
8. there is an active plan to discharge this patient during day of recruitment or the following day,
9. they are on airborne or droplet precautions

Where this trial is running

Baltimore, Maryland

• UMMC Midtown Campus — Baltimore, Maryland, United States (RECRUITING)

Study contacts

• Principal investigator: Brittany Burch, PhD, MSN, RN — University of Maryland Baltiomre
• Study coordinator: Brittany Burch, PhD, MSN, RN

Conditions: Feasibility Studies