Explore the Effects of Virtual Reality Natural Environment of Older People

December 12, 2025 updated by: National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University

Explore the Effects of Virtual Reality Based Natural Environment Intervention Programs on Improving Attention, Emotion, and Cognitive Function of Older People

The objective of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of virtual natural environment interventions on attention and mood among community-dwelling older adults in Taiwan. It was hypothesized that virtual reality combined with natural environments will improve attention to varying degrees and produce mood and physiological health outcomes in the elderly. This will be assessed by comparing the effects of virtual natural interventions with actual urban and natural interventions. Participants will randomly assign to virtual nature, actual nature, or actual urban group for a single 20-minute environmental session.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

This study will examine the effect of virtual natural environment intervention on attention and mood among community-dwelling older adults in Taiwan. This consist 3 parallel groups and 2 assessment periods. Participants in communities will be randomly assigned to virtual nature, actual nature, or actual urban group for a single 20-minute environmental session. Data will be collected at baseline and after intervention. This study recruits older adults from community locations in Taipei, Taiwan. Since no similar studies have been conducted before, the medium effect size 0. 25 is assumed, using the F-test analysis of variance, α = 0.05, power = 0.80, calculated the required total of 120 participants. Data is collected using mood and restorative questionnaires, attention tests, and a digital heart variability device. Statistical analyses will be performed using generalized estimating equations.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

120

Phase

  • 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

  • Taiwan
      • Taipei, Taiwan, Taiwan
        • National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University

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

Ages Eligible for Study

65 years and older (Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  1. Age 65 years and older
  2. Cognitive function is normal (SPMSQ >8)(The SPMSQ test was performed before the intervention to screen the cognitive function of the subjects).
  3. The subjects can communicate in Chinese or Taiwanese.

Exclusion criteria:

  1. Diseases affecting the results of the study, such as mental illness
  2. Vision or hearing problems
  3. Diseases transmitted by eyes or skin

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

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Actual nature group: Actual experience of nature environment
actual natural environment; participants in this group engage in 20 minutes of seated meditation in a natural park.
Behavioral: Experimental group: Actual nature group
Participants will go to the park and sit still for 20 minutes.The natural environment site is the same as the video scenes used in the virtual natural environment intervention, located in a natural park in Taipei City.
Experimental: Virtual nature group: virtual reality experience of nature environment
virtual reality experience of nature environment; Participants watched a 20-minute video of a virtual natural environment filmed by researchers.
Behavioral: Experimental group: Virtual nature group
Participants will experience the virtual reality natural environment by the researcher for 20 minutes.The 360-degree panoramic natural environment scenes were from a natural park in Taipei City.Considering the elderly user experience, this study utilized standalone immersive virtual reality headset. Once wearing the goggles in a comfortable seated position, participants engaged in a 20-minute virtual reality environment experience.
Active Comparator: Actual urban group: actual experience of city
actual experience of city; participants in the group engage in 20 minutes of seated meditation in a safe urban area.
Behavioral: Control group: Actual urban group
Participants will sit still for 20 minutes in a city environment.The urban environment is selected within the community's urban landscape.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Digit span test
Time Frame: Baseline and 20 minutes
To measure attention.
Baseline and 20 minutes
Trail Making Test
Time Frame: Baseline and 20 minutes
To measure attention.
Baseline and 20 minutes
The Positive and Negative Affect Schedule
Time Frame: Baseline and 20 minutes
To measure emotion.
Baseline and 20 minutes

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Blood pressure, heart rate and heart rate variability
Time Frame: Baseline and 20 minutes
measure the participant's sitting blood pressure, heartbeat and heart rate variability.
Baseline and 20 minutes

Other Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Perceived Restorativeness Scale
Time Frame: Baseline and 20 minutes
To measure sleep status in the past month.
Baseline and 20 minutes

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Cheng-Chen Chou, Ph.D, Nursing

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)

April 7, 2023

Primary Completion (Actual)

July 31, 2024

Study Completion (Actual)

July 31, 2024

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

March 13, 2023

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

March 27, 2023

First Posted (Actual)

April 7, 2023

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimated)

December 15, 2025

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

December 12, 2025

Last Verified

April 1, 2023

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • YM111067E

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.

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