Effects of Virtual Reality Meditation in Older Adults

Lady Davis Institute

Status: Completed

Conditions: Mental Disorder; Older Adults; Stress

Treatments: Behavioral: VR Meditation

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT05315609

IUSMD-21-48

Details and patient eligibility

About

Virtual reality (VR) allows users to interact within a simulated environment using electronic devices such as a VR headset or goggles. Multiple studies with younger adults have demonstrated that VR meditation can be an important tool in reducing stress, however, this has not been studied in older adults. In this study, the investigators aim to assess the effects of a 4-week program of 15-minutes sessions, twice per week of meditation delivered through VR with the aim of evaluating its impact on stress in older adults.

Enrollment: 30 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 60+ years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Living in the Greater Montreal area and able to speak English or French
• Perceived Stress Score (PSS)equal or greater than 10
• Over >=60 years of age

Exclusion criteria

• Diagnosis of epilepsy, schizophrenia, brain tumor
• History of recurrent migraines or seizures or TBI in the past year
• Substance use disorders in the last year
• Psychiatric hospitalizations in the last year.
• Acute psychotic symptoms
• Acute suicidal ideation or intent
• Glaucoma
• PTSD
• Changes to psychoactive medications in the past 4 weeks
• Alcohol, caffeine or cannabis consumption within 24 hr before the session, or nicotine consumption within 15 min of the session
• Important hearing impairment
• Recovery phase of any eye surgery

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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30 participants in 2 patient groups

Intervention: Virtual Reality Mindfulness Group

Experimental group

Description:

The intervention will be 4-weeks, twice per week, 15-minute/session VR-mindfulness intervention group.

Treatment:

Behavioral: VR Meditation

No intervention: Waitlist Control Group

No Intervention group

Description:

These participants will be on a waitlist to receive the VR guided meditation program after data collection has been completed (after the 4 weeks)