Assessment of Navigation Abilities in Children with Cerebral Palsy and Their Peers

February 25, 2025 updated by: IRCCS Eugenio Medea

Evaluation of Spatial Navigation Skills in Typically Developing Children and in Children with Cerebral Palsy Using a Head Mounted Display

Spatial navigation skills are very important in everyday activities and quality of life but spatial navigation abilities are not part of the standard process of assessment and rehabilitation of patients. Furthermore, it is known that children with cerebral palsy have impaired visuo-spatial competences. The main objective of this study is to evaluate and compare the spatial navigation abilities of typically developing children and of children with cerebral palsy using the "StarMaze" application delivered by means of a Head Mounted Display (HMD). The second aim is to investigate the user experience during the session. A similar application was already developed and tested in a virtual reality large scale platform whose size and cost limit the accessibility. Therefore, the assessment (and future training) of navigation abilities with affordable and easy-to-use technology such as HMD open new perspectives.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
26

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Locations

  • Italy
    • Lecco
      • Bosisio Parini, Lecco, Italy, 23842
        • Recruiting
        • Scientific Institute, IRCCS E. Medea
        • Contact:
        • Contact:
          • Emilia Biffi, PhD

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Child
  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • IQ higher than 70

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Subjects with epileptic issues
  • Subjects with poor head control
  • Visual acuity not correctable with eyeglasses

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Basic Science
  • Allocation: Non-Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: CP group
Participants with cerebral palsy are recruited.
Other: Virtual Reality baseline assessment

They undergo a baseline assessment (including cognitive level and pen and paper tests for visuo-spatial abilities). Then they perform a spatial navigation assessment with an immersive virtual reality application delivered by the Oculus Quest viewer. The spatial navigation application consists of a 5-way star-maze adapted from (Biffi et al 2020 Front. Psychol.) where the participants have to find a treasure hidden at the end of one way. The application measures both the learning of spatial information and the strategy used (egocentric or allocentric).

After the session, the participants fill questionnaires related to cyber-sickness and usability of the application.
Experimental: TD group
Typically developing children are recruited.
Other: Virtual Reality baseline assessment

They undergo a baseline assessment (including cognitive level and pen and paper tests for visuo-spatial abilities). Then they perform a spatial navigation assessment with an immersive virtual reality application delivered by the Oculus Quest viewer. The spatial navigation application consists of a 5-way star-maze adapted from (Biffi et al 2020 Front. Psychol.) where the participants have to find a treasure hidden at the end of one way. The application measures both the learning of spatial information and the strategy used (egocentric or allocentric).

After the session, the participants fill questionnaires related to cyber-sickness and usability of the application.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Navigation strategy
Time Frame: One day
The navigation strategy is measured by the application "StarMaze" delivered by the Oculus Quest viewer and it could be egocentric or allocentric. The strategy is egocentric if the participant finds the treasure in the virtual space by using a self-centred trajectory. The strategy is allocentric if the participant find the treasure in the virtual space by using a trajectory based on environmental cues.
One day

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Learning rate
Time Frame: One day
The learning rate of correct path to follow to find the treasure strategy is measured by the application "StarMaze" delivered by the Oculus Quest viewer. It is the number of trials required by the participant to reach a stable performance
One day
Simulator Sickness Questionnaire
Time Frame: One day
The questionnaire evaluates the effects of cyber sickness. Participants have to score 16 symptoms on a four-point scale (0-3).The symptoms can be placed into three general categories: oculomotor, disorientation, and nausea. Weights are assigned to each of the categories and summed together to obtain a single score.
One day
System Usability Scale
Time Frame: One day
It evaluates the usability of the system. The SUS is a simple, ten-item five-point Likert scale giving a global view of subjective assessments of usability.
One day
Independent Television Commission-Sense of Presence Inventory
Time Frame: One day
It is a 5-point Likert scale, composed of 44 items. This questionnaire evaluates the user experience to understand if the person enjoyed the game, the setting, and the overall experience. In particular, the questionnaire addresses four factors: spatial presence, engagement, realness of the environment, and side effects (cyber sickness).
One day
Suitability Evaluation Questionnaire - simplified version
Time Frame: One day
It evaluates the sense of agency with four questions (likert scale 1-5) and one open question.
One day
Short-form of PANAS-Positive Affect and Negative Affect Scales
Time Frame: One day
In the questionnaire, the participant must evaluate how much s/he feels in the way described by the adjective when filling out the questionnaire, responding on a 5-point Likert scale. The PANAS provides measures of Positive Affects (PAs) and Negative Affects (NAs). The PA and NA scores are the sums of the ratings of the PA items and the NA items, respectively. PA indicates the level of pleasurable engagement with the product while NA is a general factor of subjective distress.
One day

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
IRCCS Eugenio Medea

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
February 7, 2023

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
December 31, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
December 31, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
March 13, 2024

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
March 13, 2024

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
March 20, 2024

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
March 25, 2025

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
February 25, 2025

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
February 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • GIP 1021

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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