Effects of Exercise and Virtual Reality on Depression

Effects of Exercise With Virtual Reality on Females and Males With or Without Depression

This study is evaluating the effects of riding on a cycle ergometer while experiencing virtual reality to determine its effect on mood.

Study Overview

• Status: Recruiting
• Conditions: Symptoms of Depression
• Intervention / Treatment: Device: Exercise and virtual reality; Other: Riding a cycle ergometer

Detailed Description

Adults (males and females) above the age of 18 yrs will be recruited to determine if they have symptoms of depression based on a questionnaire (Center for Epidemiologic Studies - Depression Scale (CES-D). They will then complete a Beck Inventory before and after the exercise. Participants will be divided into groups either having symptoms of depression or not. They will be randomized to ride on a cycle ergometer with or without using Virtual Reality (VR) that will allow them to view neighborhoods or parks during the exercise. The ergometer will be set at resistance raising the heart rate to 65% of their age-predicted heart rate maximum. They will ride for 20 min and then complete the Beck Inventory to determine any changes in their depressive symptoms.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 200
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Judy R Wilson, Ph.D.; Phone Number: 817-272-3128; Email: jrwilson@exchange.uta.edu
• Study Contact Backup: Name: Xiangli Gu, Ph.D.; Email: xiangli.gu@uta.edu

Study Locations

• United States
  • Texas
    • Arlington, Texas, United States, 76019
      • Recruiting
      • UTArlington
      • Contact: Judy R Wilson, Ph.D.; Phone Number: 817-272-3128; Email: jrwilson@exchange.uta.edu
      • Contact: Xiangli Gu, Ph.D.; Email: xiangli.gu@uta.edu

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Males and females over the age of 18 years
• With or without symptoms of depression
• Physically inactive or sedentary (less than 30 minutes per day)
• Normal vision and no color blindness
• No physical disorders such as walking with assistance

Exclusion Criteria:

• Below the age of 18 years or over 65 years,
• Women who are pregnant
• Individuals who have been diagnosed with mental disorders
• Individuals with leg injuries
• Individuals with cardiac problems
• Individuals with a history of asthma
• Individuals with a body mass index over 30.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Screening
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Cycle Ergometer and Virtual Reality; 30 min ride on cycle ergometer while viewing neighborhood scenes using virtual reality	Device: Exercise and virtual reality; Riding a cycle ergometer while experiencing virtual reality
Experimental: Cycle Ergometer; 30 min ride on cycle ergometer	Other: Riding a cycle ergometer; Riding on a cycle ergometer without experiencing virtual reality

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Beck Depression Inventory Scale of Measurement	Assessment of symptoms of depression pre and post-intervention cycle exercise. The Beck Depression Inventory is a 21-item, multiple-choice, self-report survey that measures characteristic attitudes and symptoms of depression. The score range is 0-63. The higher the score the more severe the depression. Scores above 41 are considered "extreme depression."	5 minutes
Spatial Working Memory (SWM)	A measure of the key aspects of working memory and storage of information over short periods of time.	8 minutes
Neuropsychological Outcomes: Motor Screen Tasks (MOT)	MOT provides a general indication that psychomotor function is intact enough to proceed with more sophisticated cognitive testing:	3 minutes

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Neuropsychological Outcomes: MOT Mean Latency, MOT Total Correct, and MOT Total Errors	This test is a general assessment of whether there are sensorimotor deficits or lack of comprehension. Outcome is measured by reaction time in milliseconds of the participant reaching out and touching the "X" correctly (in the middle of the X) on the tablet in response to the stimulus. The maximum score is 6000 milliseconds. The number of total correct touches and total errors in not touching correctly out of 10 are recorded. Ex: MOT mean latency = 927.9 ml +/- 131.43 ms; MOT Total Correct = 10; MOT Total Errors = 0.	10 minutes

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: The University of Texas at Arlington
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Judy R Wilson, Ph.D., UTArlington

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): May 17, 2022
• Primary Completion (Estimated): August 31, 2027
• Study Completion (Estimated): August 31, 2027

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: May 11, 2023
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 31, 2023
• First Posted (Actual): August 2, 2023

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): May 29, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 26, 2026
• Last Verified: May 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Behavioral Symptoms; Behavior; Depression; Therapeutics; Physical Therapy Modalities; Patient Care; Rehabilitation; Aftercare; Continuity of Patient Care; Exercise Therapy
• Other Study ID Numbers: 2020-0376

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: Yes
• product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.: No