Recruiting

Virtual Cycling

Sponsor:

Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

Code:

NCT04804202

Conditions

Parkinson Disease

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 45 - 70+

Healthy Volunteers: Not accepted

Interventions

Bicycling with and without virtual reality

Study Details

Brief summary:

This study asks three questions about Persons with Parkinson Disease that use a bicycle for exercise. 1. Does the use of virtual reality increase the intensity and and enjoyment of the experience compared to bicycling without virtual reality? 2. Does the way in which the bicycling (interval compared to continous) is performed affect the experience? 3. How does the way the virtual reality is delivered (with goggles or projected on a screen) affect the experience?

Conditions

Parkinson Disease

Study ID

NCT04804202

Start date

Feb 8, 2021

Status verified date

Jul, 2026

Completion date

Dec 30, 2027

Anticipated

Primary completion date

Aug, 2026

Anticipated

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 45 - 70+

Healthy Volunteers: Not accepted

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Diagnosis of Parkinson's disease
2. Hoehn and Yahr stages II-III,
3. 45-75 years old
4. able to ride a stationary upright bicycle
5. able to sign informed consent.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Have a recent history of severe heart disease, severe lung disease, uncontrolled diabetes, traumatic brain injury or neurological disorder other than Parkinson Disease.
2. Are unable to follow directions or sign a consent form
3. Do not have adequate vision or hearing ability to see or hear a television
4. Have unstable medical condition or musculoskeletal disorder such as severe arthritis, recent knee surgery, hip surgery, or any other condition that the investigators determine would impair the ability to ride the bicycle
5. Have any other medical condition that prevents bicycling
6. Have moderate depression

Study Design

Enrollment

60 participants

Anticipated

Intervention Model

Single group

Primary purpose

Other

Interventions and Outcome Measures

Arms

other: Virtual Reality

This is a single arm study in which all participants will execute the same tasks over two sessions.

Interventions

Bicycling with and without virtual reality

In one session: Exercise intensity and enjoyment are measured while participants bicycle in a virtual compared to non-virtual environment. Cycling takes places in two modes continous and interval. In a second session exercise intensity and enjoyment are compared during bicycling with virtual reality presented in two different ways.

Primary outcome measure

  • Neuromuscular Intensity [ Time Frame: Collected in two sessions: Session 1(day 1 for 2 hours) collected continuously during 2 exercise bouts to compare exercise bouts.____Session 2 (day 2 for 2 hours) collected continuously in four exercise bouts to compare exercise bouts ]
  • Physiological Responses to Exercise- Oxygen Consumption [ Time Frame: Collected in two sessions: Session 1(day 1 for 2 hours) collected continuously during 2 exercise bouts to compare exercise bouts___ Session 2 (day 2 for 2 hours) collected continuously in four exercise bouts to compare exercise bouts ]
  • Enjoyment-Motivation [ Time Frame: Collected in two sessions: Session 1 collected continuously during 2 exercise bouts in a 2 hour Session 2: in four exercise bouts in a 2 hour session to compare exercise bouts ]
  • Heart Rate % of maximum [ Time Frame: Collected in two sessions: Session 1 collected continuously during 2 exercise bouts in a 2 hour Session 2: in four exercise bouts in a 2 hour session to compare exercise bouts ]

Central Contacts and Locations

Central contacts

Judith Deutsch, PT, PhD

973-972-2373deutsch@rutgers.edu

Sharon McFarlane

9739720281mcfarlsb@research.rutgers.edu

Locations

School of Health Professions

Recruiting

Newark, New Jersey, United States, 07011

Contacts

Judith E. Deutsch

973-972-2373deutsch@rutgers.edu

More Information

Sponsor

Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

Last update posted

Jul 13, 2026

Last verified

Jul, 2026

Keywords

  • virtual reality
  • exercise
  • cardiovascular intensity
  • neuromuscular intensity
  • enjoyment

Trial information was received from ClinicalTrials.gov and was last updated on 2026-09-10. This information was provided to ClinicalTrials.gov by Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey on 2026-07-13.