Virtual Reality for Walking and Balance in Older Adults (VR-GAIT)

June 13, 2026 updated by: Anbreena Rasool, University of Faisalabad

Effects of Virtual Reality on Gait and Balance in Community Dwelling Older Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Falls are common in older adults due to aging-related problems with walking (gait) and balance. Virtual Reality (VR) is a new technology that creates interactive video game-like exercises. This study aims to see if VR training works better than traditional physical therapy exercises for improving walking and balance in adults aged 60 years and older who live in the community. Half of the 36 participants will use a VR headset to play movement games, while the other half will do standard exercises like tandem walking. We will measure their walking speed, step length, and balance before and after 4-6 weeks of training.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Active, not 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.

Detailed Description

This is a single-center, parallel-group, randomized controlled trial conducted at Madinah Teaching Hospital, Faisalabad. Participants (N=36) are community-dwelling adults aged >=60 years, ambulatory with or without aids, with no severe cognitive impairment or uncontrolled cardiovascular disease. After baseline assessment (including Image-based modeling using OpenPose software, 6-Meter Walk Test, and Berg Balance Scale), participants are randomly allocated to Group A (VR) or Group B (Control). The VR group uses a head-mounted display (Oculus/Meta type) and a computer screen displaying a 3D world for gait and balance tasks. The control group performs conventional rehabilitation including tandem walking, weight shifts, and postural control exercises on different surfaces. Both interventions are delivered 30-45 minutes per session, 2-3 times per week for 4-6 weeks. The primary outcome is gait (speed and kinematics). The secondary outcome is balance (BBS). Statistical analysis will be performed using IBM SPSS v22.

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.
36

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 Locations

  • Pakistan
    • Punjab Province
      • Faisalābad, Punjab Province, Pakistan, 3800
        • The University of Faisalabad

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

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Community dwelling adults aged >= 60 years.
  • Able to follow instructions.
  • Able to walk with or without an assistive device.
  • Vital signs stable.
  • No severe cognitive impairment.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Severe visual or vestibular disorders.
  • Uncontrolled cardiovascular disease.
  • Severe musculoskeletal impairments.
  • Recent major surgery or spinal surgery.

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: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Single

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: Virtual Reality Training Group
Participants wear a VR headset and view a 3D computer-generated world to perform interactive gait and balance exercises.
Device: Virtual Reality Headset
Immersive VR system (e.g., Meta Quest 2 or similar) running interactive rehabilitation software. Duration: 30-45 minutes. Frequency: 2-3 times per week. Duration of intervention: 4-6 weeks.
Other: Conventional Gait and Balance Training
Standard physiotherapy protocol including tandem stance, single-leg stance, sit-to-stand, walking over obstacles, and multidirectional weight shifts. Duration: 30-45 minutes. Frequency: 2-3 times per week. Duration: 4-6 weeks.
Active Comparator: Conventional Physical Therapy Group
Participants perform standard balance and gait exercises including tandem walking, weight shifting, and walking on different surfaces without VR.
Other: Conventional Gait and Balance Training
Standard physiotherapy protocol including tandem stance, single-leg stance, sit-to-stand, walking over obstacles, and multidirectional weight shifts. Duration: 30-45 minutes. Frequency: 2-3 times per week. Duration: 4-6 weeks.

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
Change in Gait Speed
Time Frame: Baseline (Week 0) and Post-Intervention (Week 6)
Gait speed will be measured using the 6-Meter Walk Test (seconds to walk 6 meters) and Image-Based Modeling (OpenPose software analysis of stride length and cadence from iPhone 12 Pro Max video recordings).
Baseline (Week 0) and Post-Intervention (Week 6)
Change in Balance
Time Frame: Baseline (Week 0) and Post-Intervention (Week 6)
Balance will be measured using the Berg Balance Scale (BBS), a 14-item scale scoring from 0 to 56. Higher scores indicate better balance.
Baseline (Week 0) and Post-Intervention (Week 6)

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.
University of Faisalabad

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 1, 2026

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.
June 24, 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.
July 1, 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).
June 13, 2026

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.
June 13, 2026

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.
June 18, 2026

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.
June 18, 2026

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.
June 13, 2026

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.
June 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

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.
  • TUF/EIRB/ 215 /26

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

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.

Cookie Settings

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. For more details carefully read our Privacy and Cookies Policy. ...>>>You can change your preferences or withdraw your consent at any time by deleting the cookies from your website or computer as described in the policy. Please accept it and choose your preferences by ticking the corresponding boxes in the "Manage Settings" section below. Please carefully read our Terms of Service before you proceed with using any part of this website.
«Manage Settings