Using virtual reality headsets to help reduce apathy in older adults with dementia

Benefit of Virtual Reality Headset Use on Apathy in Older Adults With Major Neurocognitive Disorders

This study is testing if using virtual reality headsets can help reduce feelings of apathy in older adults with dementia.

Quick facts

• Phase: NA
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 30 (estimated)
• Ages: 65 Years to 110 Years
• Sex: All
• Sponsor: RIVAGES (other)
• Locations: 6 sites (Larajasse, Rhône and 5 other locations)
• Trial ID: NCT06047522 on ClinicalTrials.gov

What this trial studies

This clinical trial aims to explore the effects of virtual reality on apathy symptoms in elderly patients with major neurocognitive disorders. Participants will engage in a three-session virtual reality program, with each session occurring weekly, while being observed by healthcare professionals. The study will assess changes in apathy and engagement through various inventories and observational scales before and after the intervention, allowing researchers to evaluate the tolerability and impact of virtual reality on these patients. The study will take place in two nursing homes and a geriatric long-term care service, involving thirty participants.

Who should consider this trial

Good fit: Ideal candidates are individuals over 65 years old living in nursing homes or long-term care facilities with documented apathy and a major neurocognitive disorder.

Not a fit: Patients with severe neurological impairments, those unable to provide consent, or individuals in active palliative care may not benefit from this study.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could significantly improve the quality of life for elderly patients suffering from apathy associated with neurocognitive disorders.

How similar studies have performed: While the use of virtual reality in therapeutic settings is gaining interest, this specific application for apathy in older adults with neurocognitive disorders is relatively novel and has not been extensively tested.

Eligibility criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

* Persons over 65 years of age
* Persons living in nursing homes or hospitalized in long-term care
* Persons with correct vision or vision corrected by glasses
* People with no hearing problems, or with hearing loss corrected by a hearing aid
* Person with a major neurocognitive disorder
* Person with a Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) cognitive score \<26
* Individuals with documented apathy

Exclusion Criteria:

* Person with a history of epilepsy
* Persons wearing a pacemaker
* Person with open wounds of the face or skull
* Disabling headache or neck pain
* Person at the immediate end of life or in active palliative care
* Person with a contagious disease
* People who are bedridden or unable to get into a wheelchair
* Persons with severe neurological impairment
* Person with severe behavioral disorders endangering self or staff
* Persons unable to give oral consent

Where this trial is running

Larajasse, Rhône and 5 other locations

• Maison de retraite la Passerelle — Larajasse, Rhône, France (RECRUITING)
• Maison de retraite l'arc en ciel — Saint-Martin-en-Haut, Rhône, France (RECRUITING)
• USLD Arcadie - CHU Rouen — Mont-Saint-Aignan, Seine Maritime, France (RECRUITING)
• EHPAD d'Enghien — Enghien-les-Bains, Val d'Oise, France (ACTIVE_NOT_RECRUITING)
• EHPAD Louis Grassi — Presles, Val d'Oise, France (ACTIVE_NOT_RECRUITING)
• Hôpital Charles Foix — Ivry-sur-Seine, Val De Marne, France (RECRUITING)

Study contacts

• Study coordinator: Joël Belmin

Conditions: Apathy in Dementia, Aged, Virtual Reality, Neurocognitive Disorders