Effectiveness of Immersive Virtual Reality Combined With Occupational Therapy in Reducing Fall Risk and Frailty Among Older Adults

Launched by UNIVERSIDAD REY JUAN CARLOS · Jul 1, 2025

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is exploring whether combining immersive virtual reality (using special VR headsets) with traditional occupational therapy can help reduce the risk of falls and improve frailty in older adults. Frailty is a condition where people gradually lose strength and balance, which increases their chances of falling and becoming more dependent on others. The study will compare this new combined approach to standard occupational therapy alone to see if the virtual reality experience can boost balance, motivation, and overall quality of life.

The trial is looking for people aged 65 or older who already attend rehabilitation at a residential center in Madrid, can walk (with or without help), and have enough mental ability to follow instructions. Over 8 weeks, participants will have two sessions per week. Those in the experimental group will spend half the session doing regular therapy and the other half using VR games designed to improve balance. The control group will have standard therapy only. The study will check progress before, right after, and three months after the treatment. This early trial will help researchers see if this new approach is safe, doable, and shows promise for helping older adults stay steadier and healthier.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • Individuals aged 65 years or older
• • Regularly attending rehabilitation treatment at the Bouco Madrid Ferraz Residence
• • Having the ability to walk with or without assistive devices
• • Presenting sufficient cognitive capacity to understand instructions (score ≥ 24 on the MMSE)
• • Agreeing to participate voluntarily
• • Signing the informed consent form.
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • Having a diagnosis of a severe neurological disease (such as advanced Parkinson's disease or ALS, among others)
• • Having a history of epilepsy or seizures (due to potential adverse effects with VR)
• • Experiencing cardiovascular instability or having a medical contraindication for physical activity
• • Presenting vestibular disorders
• • Participating in other similar intervention programs during the same period
• • Being unable to use virtual reality glasses due to intolerance or dizziness
• • Not agreeing to participate voluntarily in the study and/or not signing the informed consent form.