Using Virtual Reality Travel to Reduce Loneliness in Older Adults (VRT)

Indiana University

Status: Enrolling

Conditions: Older Adults (65 Years and Older); Leisure Activities; Loneliness; Virtual Reality

Treatments: Behavioral: Virtual Reality Travel; Behavioral: Puzzle-Based Attention Control Activity

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT07644416

IUB-VRTPilot-2026

Details and patient eligibility

About

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.

Enrollment: 40 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 65+ years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

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).

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

---

40 participants in 2 patient groups

Virtual reality travel group

Experimental group

Description:

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

Treatment:

Behavioral: Virtual Reality Travel

Attention control group

Active Comparator group

Description:

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

Treatment:

Behavioral: Puzzle-Based Attention Control Activity