VR vs Treadmill Exercise in Children With Asthma (VR-ASTHMA)

Bezmialem Vakif University

Status: Enrolling

Conditions: Asthma (Diagnosis)

Treatments: Device: Virtual Reality-Based Aerobic Exercise; Behavioral: Treadmill-Based Aerobic Exercise

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT07610447

2026/50

Details and patient eligibility

About

This study aims to compare the effects of virtual reality-based aerobic exercise and treadmill-based aerobic exercise on functional capacity, pulmonary function, and clinical outcomes in children with asthma. Participants aged 10-17 years with physician-diagnosed asthma will be randomly assigned to either a virtual reality-based exercise group or a treadmill exercise group. Both groups will undergo supervised exercise training sessions twice a week for 8 weeks. Primary outcome will be the 6-Minute Walk Test. Secondary outcomes include pulmonary function, respiratory muscle strength, asthma control, quality of life, and exercise adherence.

Full description

Asthma is one of the most common chronic respiratory diseases in childhood and is associated with reduced physical activity, decreased functional capacity, and impaired quality of life. Regular aerobic exercise is recommended as part of asthma management; however, participation in exercise programs is often limited due to fear of symptom exacerbation and low motivation.

Virtual reality-based exercise programs have emerged as a novel approach to increase motivation and adherence in pediatric populations by integrating gamification into physical activity. Despite growing interest, there is limited evidence comparing virtual reality-based aerobic exercise with conventional aerobic exercise in children with asthma.

This prospective randomized controlled study will include children aged 10-17 years diagnosed with asthma. Participants will be randomly allocated into two groups: a virtual reality-based aerobic exercise group and a treadmill-based exercise group. Both groups will receive standardized asthma education prior to the intervention.

The intervention will consist of 40-minute sessions (5-minute warm-up, 30-minute main exercise, and 5-minute cool-down), performed twice weekly for 8 weeks. Functional capacity, pulmonary function, respiratory muscle strength, asthma control, and quality of life will be assessed before and after the intervention.

This study aims to evaluate whether virtual reality-based aerobic exercise can be an effective and engaging alternative to traditional aerobic exercise in pediatric asthma rehabilitation.

Enrollment: 30 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 10 to 17 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Children and adolescents aged between 10 and 17 years
• Physician-diagnosed asthma according to Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) criteria
• Stable medical treatment for asthma
• Ability to participate in an aerobic exercise program
• Willingness of the participant and parent/legal guardian to provide informed consent

Exclusion criteria

• Presence of orthopedic, neurological, cardiovascular, or systemic conditions limiting participation in exercise
• Contraindications to virtual reality use (e.g., epilepsy, photosensitivity)
• Participation in a structured exercise program within the previous month
• Asthma exacerbation within the previous month
• Obesity diagnosis

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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30 participants in 2 patient groups

Treadmill Exercise Group

Active Comparator group

Description:

Participants in this group will receive supervised moderate-intensity treadmill-based aerobic exercise sessions. Each session will include a 5-minute warm-up, 30-minute aerobic exercise, and 5-minute cool-down period, performed twice weekly for 8 weeks.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Treadmill-Based Aerobic Exercise

Virtual Reality-Based Exercise Group

Experimental group

Description:

Participants in this group will receive supervised virtual reality-based aerobic exercise sessions using a Meta Quest 3S headset and game-based activities. Each session will include a 5-minute warm-up, 30-minute aerobic exercise, and 5-minute cool-down period, performed twice weekly for 8 weeks.

Treatment:

Device: Virtual Reality-Based Aerobic Exercise