Can VR help people with dementia master daily tasks?

NCT ID NCT07829913

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Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting This study
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

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Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Sep 21, 2026 · Last updated Sep 21, 2026

Summary

Researchers at Indiana University are testing whether a home-based virtual reality program can help people with mild dementia practice everyday activities like preparing food, washing dishes, or managing money. Forty participants will be randomly assigned to either VR training or traditional cognitive stimulation activities such as word puzzles. Both groups will complete 30-minute sessions five times a week for four weeks, with assessments at the start, after the program, and four weeks later. The study asks whether VR practice leads to better daily activity performance, engagement, and quality of life compared with standard cognitive activities.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
At-home virtual reality training for everyday activities
What this could lead to
If it works, this could give people with mild dementia a safe, engaging way to practice daily tasks at home and possibly improve their confidence and quality of life.
What could go wrong
The study is small and early, so results may not hold up in larger groups. Some participants may find VR equipment hard to use, and any gains might fade after training stops.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Not a phased trial

Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.

Participants

About 40 people

The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.

Expected to start

Oct 2026

An estimate. Start dates often move.

Expected to finish

Dec 2026

An estimate. End dates often move.

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

18 years and older

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * Clinical diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease or a dementia-related condition that shares similar or overlapping symptoms with Alzheimer's disease, confirmed by a licensed healthcare provider (e.g., neurologist, geriatrician, or primary care physician); for caregiver-reported diagnoses, supporting documentation must be obtained prior to enrollment. * MMSE score between 20 to 25 (mild dementia) * Capacity to consent * Ability to engage meaningfully in at least one IADL task relevant to the intervention, ensuring capacity to interact with the functional tasks targeted within the VR system. * Safe, quiet home environment appropriate for VR, with access to an indoor space suitable for engaging in study activities: At least 3 × 3 feet of unobstructed floor space. Adequate lighting to clearly view the device and physical surroundings. Stable chair without wheels for VR use. * Willingness and ability to follow the study protocol, including completion of 30-minute intervention sessions five times per week for four weeks and participation in assessment sessions at baseline (Week 0), post-intervention (Week 4), and follow-up (Week 8). * English language proficiency sufficient to complete the intervention and assessments, including interviews, cognitive testing, and interactive VR tasks. * Participants must have access to a smartphone, owned by the participant or their caregiver, and be willing to use it to host the VR application. Caregivers' inclusion criteria include: * Age 18 years or older * Primary familial or spousal caregiver who provides daily care Exclusion Criteria: * Impaired reasoning/judgment that affects daily life * Severe visual, hearing, or motor impairments that would limit the participant's ability to use VR safely or engage with the system's content. * Significant psychiatric or neurological conditions (e.g., active psychosis, uncontrolled depression, recent seizures) that may interfere with participation or safety. * Medical conditions that pose safety risks, including those that could be aggravated by visual immersion (e.g., uncontrolled vertigo, history of VR-induced motion sickness). * Significant acute or chronic medical, neurological, or other illnesses that, in the judgment of the principal investigator (PI), could compromise participant safety, hinder study completion, or interfere with study objectives. * Concurrent participation in other interventional studies, particularly those involving cognitive rehabilitation or VR, that may confound study results. * MMSE score below 20, indicating cognitive impairments more advanced than mild dementia.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

As listed by the trial registrant

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