Virtual Reality Multidomain Training for Older Adults With Cognitive Frailty

November 2, 2026 updated by: Zheng Li

Effects and Mechanisms of a Virtual Reality-Based Multidomain Intervention in Older Adults With Cognitive Frailty: A Randomized Controlled Trial

This randomized controlled trial will evaluate the effects of a virtual reality (VR) multidomain intervention on cognitive function in older adults with cognitive frailty and explore its underlying mechanisms.

Participants will receive either supervised VR training twice weekly for 8 weeks or multidomain health education. The VR program combines cognitive training, physical exercise, nutrition education, and emotional support.

Cognitive function, physical function, emotional symptoms, and nutritional status will be assessed at baseline and Week 8. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy will assess brain activity to explore potential mechanisms. Intervention feasibility, acceptability, and safety will also be evaluated.

Study Overview

Status

Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

90

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 Contact

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

60 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Age >60 years.
  • FFP score ≥1.
  • MMSE ≥24 and either SCD-Q9 ≥5 or MoCA <26.
  • ADL score ≤26.
  • Ability to follow instructions, communicate discomfort, and safely participate in VR training.
  • Written informed consent.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Dementia, stroke, Parkinson's disease, spinal cord injury, or epilepsy.
  • Medical, psychiatric, or neurological conditions that prevent safe participation.
  • Severe or recurrent vertigo, motion sickness, or intolerance to VR.

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: Supportive Care
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Virtual Reality Multidomain Intervention

Participants will receive supervised virtual reality multidomain training twice weekly for 8 weeks, for a total of 16 sessions. Each session is planned to last approximately 45 minutes, including instruction, warm-up, intermittent VR training, breaks, and task transitions. The program combines cognitive training, physical exercise, nutrition education, and emotional support. Task difficulty and training duration will be adjusted according to individual abilities and tolerance.
Behavioral: Virtual Reality Multidomain Training

A supervised VR program combining cognitive training, physical exercise, nutrition education, and emotional support. Participants attend two sessions weekly for 8 weeks, totaling 16 sessions. Each 45-minute session includes instruction, warm-up, approximately 25 minutes of intermittent VR training, and breaks. VR training includes approximately 10 minutes of cognitive training, 10 minutes of physical exercise, and 5 minutes of nutrition education or emotional support. Nutrition and emotional support activities alternate between the two weekly sessions. VR familiarization is provided before formal training. Task difficulty and training duration are adjusted to individual abilities and tolerance.
Active Comparator: Multidomain Health Education

Participants will receive multidomain health education covering cognitive health, physical activity, nutrition, and emotional well-being.
Behavioral: Multidomain Health Education

Participants will receive multidomain health education covering cognitive health, physical activity, nutrition, and emotional well-being. The educational content addresses the same health domains as the VR intervention.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA)
Time Frame: Baseline and Week 8 (end of intervention)

The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) will be used to assess cognitive function. Total scores range from 0 to 30, with higher scores indicating better cognitive function.
Baseline and Week 8 (end of intervention)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Short Physical Performance Battery
Time Frame: Baseline and Week 8 (end of intervention)

The Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) will be used to assess lower-extremity physical function through standing balance, walking speed, and repeated chair stands. Total scores range from 0 to 12, with higher scores indicating better physical performance.
Baseline and Week 8 (end of intervention)
Fried Frailty Phenotype
Time Frame: Baseline and Week 8 (end of intervention)

The Fried Frailty Phenotype (FFP) will be used to assess physical frailty based on five criteria: unintentional weight loss, exhaustion, weakness, slow walking speed, and low physical activity. Total scores range from 0 to 5, with higher scores indicating greater frailty.
Baseline and Week 8 (end of intervention)
Timed Up and Go Test (TUG)
Time Frame: Baseline and Week 8 (end of intervention)

The Timed Up and Go (TUG) test will be used to assess functional mobility. Participants rise from a chair, walk 3 meters, turn, walk back, and sit down. Completion time is recorded in seconds, with shorter times indicating better functional mobility.
Baseline and Week 8 (end of intervention)
Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9)
Time Frame: Baseline and Week 8 (end of intervention)

The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) will be used to assess depressive symptoms over the preceding two weeks. Total scores range from 0 to 27, with higher scores indicating more severe depressive symptoms.
Baseline and Week 8 (end of intervention)

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

Zheng Li

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 (Estimated)

November 3, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

June 30, 2027

Study Completion (Estimated)

June 30, 2027

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

November 2, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

November 2, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

November 6, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

November 6, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

November 2, 2026

Last Verified

November 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Other Study ID Numbers

  • PUMCSON-2025-21

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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