Recruiting

Virtual Reality Travel

Sponsor:

Indiana University

Code:

NCT07644416

Conditions

Loneliness

Older Adults (65 Years and Older)

Virtual Reality

Leisure Activities

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 65+

Healthy Volunteers: Accepted

Interventions

Virtual Reality Travel

Puzzle-Based Attention Control Activity

Study Details

Brief summary:

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.

Conditions

Loneliness

Older Adults (65 Years and Older)

Virtual Reality

Leisure Activities

Study ID

NCT07644416

Start date

Jun 1, 2026

Status verified date

Aug, 2026

Completion date

May 30, 2027

Anticipated

Primary completion date

Dec 30, 2026

Anticipated

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 65+

Healthy Volunteers: Accepted

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).

Study Design

Enrollment

40 participants

Anticipated

Allocation

Randomized

Intervention Model

Parallel Assignment

Primary purpose

Treatment

Interventions and Outcome Measures

Arms

experimental: Virtual reality travel group

Participants in the VR travel group experience a 13-minute-and-44-second VR tour of Bali Island, Indonesia.

active comparator: Attention control group

Participants in the attention control group complete 13-minute-and-44-second symmetric puzzles featuring leaves, birds, and insects.

Interventions

Virtual Reality Travel

Participants in the VR travel group experience a 13-minute-and-44-second VR tour of Bali Island, Indonesia.

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 measure

  • loneliness [ Time Frame: Baseline and following completion of the intervention session (approximately 20-30 minutes after baseline assessment) ]

Central Contacts and Locations

Central contacts

Ruiping Ren

812-671-4087renruip@iu.edu

Locations

Evergreen Village at Bloomington

Recruiting

Bloomington, Indiana, United States, 47401

Contacts

Sherri Ganka

812-336-2718resident.services@evergreenvillage-bloomington.com

Bell Trace

Recruiting

Bloomington, Indiana, United States, 47408

Contacts

Melissa Davis

812-332-2355mdavis@cardon.us

Area 10 Agency on Aging

Recruiting

Ellettsville, Indiana, United States, 47429

Contacts

Amy Guerrettaz

812-935-2582aguerrettaz@area10agency.org

More Information

Sponsor

Indiana University

Last update posted

Aug 14, 2026

Last verified

Aug, 2026

Trial information was received from ClinicalTrials.gov and was last updated on 2026-09-09. This information was provided to ClinicalTrials.gov by Indiana University on 2026-08-14.