SENS'REM - SENSoriality and Multi-Sensory Emotional Reminiscences: a Pilot Study

Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nice

Status

Begins enrollment in 2 months

Conditions

Apathy in Dementia

Apathy

Treatments

Behavioral: Multisensory Virtual Reality Reminiscence Intervention

Study type

Interventional

Funder types

Other

Identifiers

NCT07468305

25-AOIP-05

Details and patient eligibility

About

SENS'REM is a pilot feasibility study evaluating a new non-drug therapeutic program based on multisensory reminiscence using immersive virtual reality in older adults living in nursing homes or long-term care units who present cognitive impairment and apathy.

Apathy is a frequent symptom in people with neurocognitive disorders. It is characterized by a loss of motivation, reduced interest in activities, and decreased emotional engagement. Apathy strongly affects quality of life, social interactions, and participation in care, and current drug treatments have limited effectiveness. For this reason, non-pharmacological approaches are increasingly recommended.

The SENS'REM program combines virtual reality with personalized multisensory stimulation (visual, auditory, olfactory and gustatory) to help participants relive meaningful autobiographical memories in an immersive and emotionally engaging environment. Each participant receives one session per week for six weeks. The content of the sessions is adapted to the individual life history of each participant.

The primary objective of this study is to evaluate the feasibility of implementing this program in institutional settings, including recruitment, organization, technical aspects, and participant adherence. Secondary objectives include evaluating changes in apathy, quality of life, cognitive functioning, social engagement, participant satisfaction, and the tolerance of the intervention.

The main hypothesis of the study is that a personalized multisensory virtual reality reminiscence program is feasible in nursing home and long-term care settings and may contribute to a reduction in apathy and an improvement in engagement and well-being among older adults with cognitive impairment.

This pilot study will provide essential preliminary data to optimize the intervention and prepare a future larger comparative clinical trial.

Enrollment

10 estimated patients

Sex

All

Ages

65+ years old

Volunteers

No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

Men or women aged 70 years or older
Living in a nursing home (EHPAD) or long-term care unit (USLD) for at least 3 months
Sufficient French language ability to understand the study procedures
Presence of apathy confirmed by a positive score on the Apathy Inventory
Moderate cognitive impairment documented by a Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) score between 10 and 17
Affiliated with a social security or health insurance system
Medical approval for virtual reality exposure (no contraindication)
Ability to provide informed consent, or consent provided by a legal representative or trusted person when applicable

Exclusion criteria

"Diagnosed psychiatric disorder according to DSM-5 criteria (e.g., schizophrenia, bipolar disorder)
Severe or acute behavioral disturbances incompatible with study participation
Neurological comorbidities incompatible with virtual reality use (e.g., Lewy body disease, history of epilepsy)
Severe sensory impairment (vision, hearing, or olfaction) preventing participation
Known susceptibility to cybersickness based on the CyberSickness in Virtual Reality Questionnaire (CSQ-VR)
Presence of a cardiac pacemaker incompatible with virtual reality headset use
Withdrawal of informed consent at any time during the study"