Motivation While Doing Physical Exercise in a Social Dual-task Virtual Environment

Launched by ISTITUTO DI SISTEMI E TECNOLOGIE INDUSTRIALI INTELLIGENTI PER IL MANIFATTURIERO AVANZATO · Jun 30, 2025

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is exploring whether exercising in a virtual reality (VR) setting with others (multi-player) is more motivating and enjoyable than exercising alone (single-player). The study involves healthy young people, children and teens with movement difficulties, as well as older adults with neurological or lung conditions. Researchers want to find out if a social VR environment helps people feel more involved, included, and motivated to exercise, and if it improves their exercise performance.

People who might join include healthy students aged 14-18, individuals 12 years and older with motor disorders, adults with neurological conditions, and patients with stable chronic lung diseases. Participants need to be able to safely use VR and perform light cycling exercises without serious physical or cognitive problems. In the study, 40 participants will try both solo and group VR exercises in one session and share their experiences through questionnaires. A smaller group will also use the group VR exercise three times a week for three weeks. This study is not yet recruiting but aims to better understand how social interaction in virtual exercise can support motivation and rehabilitation.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • For IRCCS E. Medea: patients 12 years and older with neuromotor pathologies;
• • For Villa Beretta: adults with neurological pathologies;
• • For INRCA Casatenovo: patients with chronic respiratory diseases, clinical stability for at least 4 weeks;
• • Healthy volunteers: healthy students aged 14-18 years.
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • Absence of appropriate cognitive abilities to interact with virtual reality software;
• • Presence of severe sensory deficits (visual acuity, auditory perception) such as to interfere with the administration of the proposed activities;
• • Poor trunk control or physical limitations (excessive spasticity or joint limitations) that impair the safe performance of the pedaling activity. Presence of epilepsy or treatment with antiepileptic drugs, where the physician highlights contraindications;
• • Participation in other standardized rehabilitation protocols involving lower limbs and walking.
• Specifically, for INRCA Casatenovo:
• • clinical instability (pH \<7.35, hemodynamic instability, resting tachypnea);
• • acute exacerbations in the month prior to enrollment;
• • cognitive impairment such that participation in rehabilitation activities is impaired (Mini Mental State Examination \< 24);
• • cardiovascular decompensation NYHA (New York Heart Association) class III and IV;
• • major cardiac arrhythmias;
• • active solid or hematologic neoplasms;
• • recent myocardial infarction (\< 6 months);
• • orthopedic clinical conditions that interfere with exercise.