Virtual reality getaway shows promise in fighting senior loneliness
NCT ID NCT07644416
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Aug 14, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study explores whether a short virtual reality (VR) tour of Bali can reduce loneliness in adults aged 65 and older. Participants are randomly assigned to either a 13-minute VR travel experience or a puzzle activity, and their feelings of loneliness are measured before and after. The goal is to see if VR is a feasible and acceptable way to improve emotional well-being in older adults.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Virtual reality travel experience
- What this could lead to
- If effective, this approach could offer a simple, enjoyable way to ease loneliness in older adults without medication.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small pilot study, so results may not apply broadly. The effect may be short-lived, and some older adults may find VR uncomfortable or impractical.
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
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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
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About 40 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Jun 2026
- Expected to finish
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May 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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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
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65 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
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Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Adults aged 65 years or older * Express willingness to engage with VR technology Exclusion Criteria: \- No self-reported physical, sensory, neurological, or cognitive conditions that would make VR use unsafe or impractical (e.g., uncontrolled seizures, severe vertigo, or significant uncorrected vision/hearing impairments).
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As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
3 sites. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Area 10 Agency on Aging
RECRUITINGEllettsville, Indiana, 47429, United States
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Bell Trace
RECRUITINGBloomington, Indiana, 47408, United States
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Evergreen Village at Bloomington
RECRUITINGBloomington, Indiana, 47401, United States
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