Technology and Family Thriving Study

NCT05150990 | Completed Results DMC

• 3 other identifiers: NIH 13336607R42AG063640-023R42AG063640-03S1
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 186
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 27

Brief Summary

The purpose of this project is to test the impact of different forms of technology (virtual reality vs. video chat) on quality of life and family relationships in older adults who reside in senior living communities and an adult child who lives at a distance. The study will also investigate whether responses to the technology and quality of life outcomes depend on older adults' level of cognitive impairment.

Conditions

Alzheimer Disease; Dementia; Caregiver Burnout; Quality of Life; Mental Health Wellness 1; Loneliness; Family Relationship

Keywords

Virtual reality; Video chat (Zoom); Technology; Senior living community; Seniors; Older adults; Cognitive impairment; Dementia; Thriving; Quality of Life; Loneliness; Mental health; Caregiver guilt; Caregiver burden; Family relationships; Adult children; Assisted living; Social connection

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (19)

• Quality of Life in Alzheimer's Disease (QOL-AD) - Changes From Baseline (Older Adult)

  QOL-AD (R.G. Logsdon, 1996) is a 13-item self-report measure of quality of life (completed by older adult participants). (As a secondary outcome, adult children also reported on their parents' quality of life). Items are rated on a 4-point scale: 1 = Poor, 2 = Fair, 3 = Good, 4 = Excellent. The total score is the mean of all items (range: 1 to 4). Higher scores indicate greater quality of life.

  T1 (baseline, 1-week pre-intervention), T2 (1-week post-intervention), T3 (1-month post-intervention), T4 (3-months post-intervention)

• Brief Inventory of Thriving (BIT) - Changes From Baseline (Older Adult)

  An 11-item measure of thriving adapted from the Brief Inventory of Thriving (BIT) and the Comprehensive Inventory of Thriving (CIT; Su, R., Tay, L., \& Diener, E., 2014). This measure provides a holistic view of positive functioning (completed by older adults and adult children). Items are rated on a 5-point scale: 1 = Strongly Disagree, 2 = Disagree, 3 = Neither Agree nor Disagree, 4 = Agree, 5 = Strongly Agree. The total score is the average of the 11 items (range: 1 to 5). Higher scores indicate a greater sense of thriving.

  T1 (baseline, 1-week pre-intervention), T2 (1-week post-intervention), T3 (1-month post-intervention), T4 (3-months post-intervention)

• Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) - Changes From Baseline (Older Adult)

  This scale includes 12 items from the longer PANAS (Watson, Clark, \& Tellegen, 1988), which measures two primary dimensions of mood. (Completed by older adults and adult children.) Participants rate the extent to which they experienced positive and negative emotions over the past week. Each item is rated on a 5-point scale: 1 = Not at all, 2 = A little, 3 = Moderately, 4 = Quite a lot, 5 = Extremely. Separate subscale scores are calculated for positive emotion (6 items) and negative emotion (6 items) by averaging responses within each set (range: 1 to 5). Higher scores on the positive emotion subscale reflect greater positive mood during the past week, indicating better well-being. Higher scores on the negative emotion subscale reflect greater negative mood, indicating poorer well-being.

  T1 (baseline, 1-week pre-intervention), T2 (1-week post-intervention), T3 (1-month post-intervention), T4 (3-months post-intervention)

• Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) - Changes From Baseline (Older Adult)

  GDS (Sheikh, J.I., \& Yesavage, J.A., 1986) is a 15-item self-report measure of depression (completed by older adult participants). Items are rated "Yes" or "No" and are scored "1" if the response reflects depressive symptoms. Total score is the sum of all items (range: 0 to 15). Higher scores indicate greater depression.

  T1 (baseline, 1-week pre-intervention), T2 (1-week post-intervention), T3 (1-month post-intervention), T4 (3-months post-intervention)

• Mental Health Inventory (MHI) - Changes From Baseline (Older Adult)

  The MHI includes 5 items from the longer MHI (McHorney, Ware, \& Raczek, 1993) to assess depression, anxiety, and vitality during the past week (completed by older adults and adult children). Items are rated on a 6-point scale: 1= None of the time, 2= A little of the time, 3 = Some of the time, 4 = A good bit of the time, 5 = Most of the time, 6 = All of the time. The total score is the average of all 8 items, some reverse-scored (range: 1 to 6). Higher scores indicate better mental health.

  T1 (baseline, 1-week pre-intervention), T2 (1-week post-intervention), T3 (1-month post-intervention), T4 (3-months post-intervention)

• Revised UCLA Loneliness Scale (Short Form) - Changes From Baseline (Older Adult)

  The short form of the Revised UCLA Loneliness Scale (Hughes, Waite, Hawkley, \& Cacioppo, 2008) is a 4-item scale widely used in field research with older adults, and adapted from the original scale (Russell D, Peplau LA, Cutrona CE, 1980). Items are rated on a 4-point scale: 1 = Never, 2 = Rarely, 3 = Sometimes, 4 = Often. The total score is the mean of the 4 items (range: 1 to 4). Higher scores indicate greater loneliness.

  T1 (baseline, 1-week pre-intervention), T2 (1-week post-intervention), T3 (1-month post-intervention), T4 (3-months post-intervention)

• Unidimensional Relationship Closeness Scale - Changes From Baseline (Older Adult)

  Relationship closeness is assessed with 4 items from the Unidimensional Relationship Closeness Scale (Dibble, Levine, \& Park, 2011). (Completed by older adults and adult children). Items are rated on a 7-point scale: 1 = Strongly disagree, 2 = Disagree, 3 = Somewhat disagree, 4 = Neutral, 5 = Somewhat agree, 6 = Agree, 7 = Strong Agree. The total score is the average of the 4 items (range: 1 to 7). Higher scores indicate greater relationship closeness.

  T1 (baseline, 1-week pre-intervention), T2 (1-week post-intervention), T3 (1-month post-intervention), T4 (3-months post-intervention)

• Relationship Satisfaction - Changes From Baseline (Older Adult)

  Global relationship satisfaction is assessed with 3 items adapted from Huston et al.'s (1986) relationship satisfaction scale (completed by older adults and adult children). Items are rated on a 6-point scale: 1 = Not at all, 2 = A little, 3 = Somewhat, 4 = Very, 5 = Almost completely, 6 = Completely. Total scores are the average of the 3 items (range: 1 to 6). Higher scores indicate greater relationship satisfaction.

  T1 (baseline, 1-week pre-intervention), T2 (1-week post-intervention), T3 (1-month post-intervention), T4 (3-months post-intervention)

• Communal Coping - Changes From Baseline (Older Adult)

  Communal coping is assessed with 3 items reflecting feelings of unity when combatting stress (Afifi et al., 2019). (Completed by older adults and adult children.) Items are rated on a 5-point scale: 1 = Strongly disagree, 2 = Disagree, 3 = Neutral, 4 = Agree, 5 = Strongly agree. The total score is the average of the 3 items (range: 1 to 5). Higher scores indicate a greater sense of communal coping.

  T1 (baseline, 1-week pre-intervention), T2 (1-week post-intervention), T3 (1-month post-intervention), T4 (3-months post-intervention)

• Brief Inventory of Thriving (BIT) - Changes From Baseline (Adult Child)

  An 11-item measure of thriving adapted from the Brief Inventory of Thriving (BIT) and the Comprehensive Inventory of Thriving (CIT; Su, R., Tay, L., \& Diener, E., 2014). This measure provides a holistic view of positive functioning (completed by older adults and adult children). Items are rated on a 5-point scale: 1 = Strongly Disagree, 2 = Disagree, 3 = Neither Agree nor Disagree, 4 = Agree, 5 = Strongly Agree. The total score is the average of the 11 items (range: 1 to 5). Higher scores indicate a greater sense of thriving.

  T1 (baseline, 1-week pre-intervention), T2 (1-week post-intervention), T3 (1-month post-intervention), T4 (3-months post-intervention)

• Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale Revised Short Form (CESD-R-10) - Changes From Baseline (Adult Child)

  The CESD-R-10 (Björgvinsson, Kertz, Bigda-Peyton, McCoy, Aderka,2013) is a 10-item measure of depressive symptoms adapted from the longer CESD (completed by adult children). Participants are asked to report how they felt during the past week. Items are rated on a 4-point scale: 0 = Rarely or none of the time, 1 = Some or a little of the time, 2 = Occasionally or a moderate amount of the time, 3 = Most or all of the time. The total score is the mean of the 10 items, some reverse-scored (range: 0 to 3). Higher scores reflect more depressive symptoms, worse mental health.

  T1 (baseline, 1-week pre-intervention), T2 (1-week post-intervention), T3 (1-month post-intervention), T4 (3-months post-intervention)

• Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) - Changes From Baseline (Adult Child)

  This scale includes 12 items from the longer PANAS (Watson, Clark, \& Tellegen, 1988), which measures two primary dimensions of mood. (Completed by older adults and adult children.) Participants rate the extent to which they experienced positive and negative emotions over the past week. Each item is rated on a 5-point scale: 1 = Not at all, 2 = A little, 3 = Moderately, 4 = Quite a lot, 5 = Extremely. Separate subscale scores are calculated for positive emotion (6 items) and negative emotion (6 items) by averaging responses within each set (range: 1 to 5). Higher scores on the positive emotion subscale reflect greater positive mood during the past week, indicating better well-being. Higher scores on the negative emotion subscale reflect greater negative mood, indicating poorer well-being.

  T1 (baseline, 1-week pre-intervention), T2 (1-week post-intervention), T3 (1-month post-intervention), T4 (3-months post-intervention)

• Mental Health Inventory (MHI) - Changes From Baseline (Adult Child)

  The MHI includes 5 items from the longer MHI (McHorney, Ware, \& Raczek, 1993) to assess depression, anxiety, and vitality during the past week (completed by older adults and adult children). Items are rated on a 6-point scale: 1 = None of the time, 2 = A little of the time, 3 = Some of the time, 4 = A good bit of the time, 5 = Most of the time, 6 = All of the time. The total score is the average of all 8 items, some reverse-scored (range: 1 to 6). Higher scores indicate better mental health.

  T1 (baseline, 1-week pre-intervention), T2 (1-week post-intervention), T3 (1-month post-intervention), T4 (3-months post-intervention)

• Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) - Changes From Baseline (Adult Child)

  The PSS short form (completed by adult children) is a 4-item scale adapted from the longer PSS (Cohen, Kamarck, \& Mermelstein, 1983). Items are rated on a 5-point scale: 1 = Never, 2 = Almost never, 3 = Sometimes, 4 = Fairly often, 5 = Very often. The total score is the average of the 4 items, some reverse-scored (range: 1 to 5). Higher scores indicate greater perceived stress.

  T1 (baseline, 1-week pre-intervention), T2 (1-week post-intervention), T3 (1-month post-intervention), T4 (3-months post-intervention)

• Caregiver Guilt/Grief Scale - Changes From Baseline (Adult Child)

  This scale (completed by adult children) includes 13 items adapted from the caregiver guilt and grief scales (Wells, Jorm, Jordan, \& Lefroy, 1990). Items are rated on a 5-point scale: 1= Not at all, 2 = A little, 3 = A moderate amount, 4 = A lot, 5 = Almost unbearably. The total score is the average of the 13 items (range: 1 to 5). Higher scores indicate greater caregiver guilt/grief.

  T1 (baseline, 1-week pre-intervention), T2 (1-week post-intervention), T3 (1-month post-intervention), T4 (3-months post-intervention)

• Relational Burnout/Load Scale - Changes From Baseline (Adult Child)

  Relational burnout/load is assessed with 6 items from the Relational Load Scale (Afifi et al., 2019). (Completed by adult children.) Items are rated on a 5-point scale: 1 = Strongly disagree, 2 = Disagree, 3 = Neutral, 4 = Agree, 5 = Strongly agree. The total score is the average of the 6 items, some reverse-scored (range: 1 to 5). Higher scores indicate a greater sense of relational load/burnout.

  T1 (baseline, 1-week pre-intervention), T2 (1-week post-intervention), T3 (1-month post-intervention), T4 (3-months post-intervention)

• Unidimensional Relationship Closeness Scale - Changes From Baseline (Adult Child)

  Relationship closeness is assessed with 4 items from the Unidimensional Relationship Closeness Scale (Dibble, Levine, \& Park, 2011). (Completed by older adults and adult children.) Items are rated on a 7-point scale: 1 = Strongly disagree, 2 = Disagree, 3 = Somewhat disagree, 4 = Neutral, 5 = Somewhat agree, 6 = Agree, 7 = Strong Agree. The total score is the average of the 4 items (range: 1 to 7). Higher scores indicate greater relationship closeness.

  T1 (baseline, 1-week pre-intervention), T2 (1-week post-intervention), T3 (1-month post-intervention), T4 (3-months post-intervention)

• Relationship Satisfaction - Changes From Baseline (Adult Child)

  Global relationship satisfaction is assessed with 3 items adapted from Huston et al.'s (1986) relationship satisfaction scale (completed by older adults and adult children). Items are rated on a 6-point scale: 1 = Not at all, 2 = A little, 3 = Somewhat, 4 = Very, 5 = Almost completely, 6 = Completely. The total score is the average of the 3 items (range: 1 to 6). Higher scores indicate greater relationship satisfaction.

  T1 (baseline, 1-week pre-intervention), T2 (1-week post-intervention), T3 (1-month post-intervention), T4 (3-months post-intervention)

• Communal Coping - Changes From Baseline (Adult Child)

  Communal coping is assessed with 3 items reflecting feelings of unity when combatting stress (Afifi et al., 2019). (Completed by older adults and adult children.) Items are rated on a 5-point scale: 1 = Strongly disagree, 2 = Disagree, 3 = Neutral, 4 = Agree, 5 = Strongly agree. The total score is the average of the 3 items (range: 1 to 5). Higher scores indicate a greater sense of communal coping.

  T1 (baseline, 1-week pre-intervention), T2 (1-week post-intervention), T3 (1-month post-intervention), T4 (3-months post-intervention)

Secondary Outcomes (4)

• Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) - Technology Sessions

  Immediately after each of the 4 technology sessions during the intervention (one week apart)

• Social and Conversational Engagement - Technology Sessions

  Immediately after each of the 4 technology sessions during the intervention (one week apart)

• Relationship Satisfaction and Communication Quality - Technology Sessions

  Immediately after each of the 4 technology sessions during the intervention (one week apart)

• Telepresence and Copresence - Technology Session

  Measured after the first technology session (Week 1 of the intervention)

Study Arms (2)

Virtual Reality

EXPERIMENTAL

Weekly activities using virtual reality (Rendever)

Behavioral: Virtual Reality

Video Chat

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Weekly activities using video conference (Zoom)

Behavioral: Video Chat

Interventions

Virtual Reality BEHAVIORAL

Older adults (residents of senior living communities) engage in four 20-minute virtual reality activities (via the Rendever platform) with their adult child each week for 4 consecutive weeks. The 4 sessions include immersive virtual adventures (e.g., bucket list travel) and reminiscence activities (e.g., virtual life story). Adult children participate remotely from their own homes.

Virtual Reality

Video Chat BEHAVIORAL

Older adults (residents of senior living communities) engage in four 20-minute video chat sessions (via the Zoom platform) with their adult child each week for 4 consecutive weeks. Adult children participate remotely from their own homes.

Video Chat

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Must reside in one of the senior living communities participating in the study
• at least 50 years old
• Fluent in English or Spanish
• Have MCI or mild to moderate AD/ADRD
• Mini-mental state examination (MMSE-2) score between 13 and 27
• Have an adult child who lives at least 45 minutes driving distance from the community and is willing to participate with them
• Do not have an overly negative, aggressive, or abusive relationship with this adult child
• At least 18 years old
• Fluent in English or Spanish,
• Live at least 45 minutes driving distance from the residential community
• Do not have an overly negative, aggressive, or abusive relationship with their parent

You may not qualify if:

• Severe AD/ADRD (MMSE-2 score \< 13)
• History of seizure, severe vertigo, hallucinations, or aggression
• Severe visual impairment (screening will be conducted to determine if vision is sufficient to participate)

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of California, Santa Barbara: lead
• Rendever, Inc.: collaborator
• National Institute on Aging (NIA): collaborator

Study Sites (27)

Belmont Calabasas

Calabasas, California, 91302, United States

Location

Oakmont of Camarillo

Camarillo, California, 93012, United States

Location

Friendship Manor

Goleta, California, 93117, United States

Location

Casa Dorinda

Montecito, California, 93108, United States

Location

Ojai Gables

Ojai, California, 93023, United States

Location

Garden Court on De La Vina

Santa Barbara, California, 93101, United States

Location

Covenant Living at the Samarkand

Santa Barbara, California, 93105, United States

Location

Gardens on Hope

Santa Barbara, California, 93105, United States

Location

Grace Village Apartments

Santa Barbara, California, 93105, United States

Location

Valle Verde

Santa Barbara, California, 93105, United States

Location

Vista Del Monte

Santa Barbara, California, 93105, United States

Location

Heritage House

Santa Barbara, California, 93111, United States

Location

Maravilla

Santa Barbara, California, 93111, United States

Location

Atterdag Village of Solvang

Solvang, California, 93463, United States

Location

Stone Hill at Andover

Andover, Massachusetts, 01810, United States

Location

Stonebridge at Burlington

Burlington, Massachusetts, 01803, United States

Location

Youville House Assisted Living

Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02138, United States

Location

Cadbury Commons

Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02140, United States

Location

Brightview Canton

Canton, Massachusetts, 02021, United States

Location

The Linden at Danvers

Danvers, Massachusetts, 01923, United States

Location

Brightview North Andover

North Andover, Massachusetts, 01845, United States

Location

Benchmark of Norwood (Clapboardtree)

Norwood, Massachusetts, 02062, United States

Location

Laurelwood at The Pinehills

Plymouth, Massachusetts, 02630, United States

Location

Autumn Glen at Dartmouth

South Dartmouth, Massachusetts, 02747, United States

Location

Bayberry at Emerald Court

Tewksbury, Massachusetts, 01876, United States

Location

Carriage House at Lee's Farm

Wayland, Massachusetts, 01778, United States

Location

Ledgewood Bay Assisted Living

Milford, New Hampshire, 03055, United States

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Alzheimer Disease; Dementia; Caregiver Burden; Cognitive Dysfunction; Psychological Well-Being

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Brain Diseases; Central Nervous System Diseases; Nervous System Diseases; Tauopathies; Neurodegenerative Diseases; Neurocognitive Disorders; Mental Disorders; Stress, Psychological; Behavioral Symptoms; Behavior; Cognition Disorders; Personal Satisfaction

Results Point of Contact

• Title: Dr. Nancy Collins
• Organization: University of California Santa Barbara

ncollins@ucsb.edu

805-568-0042

Study Officials

• Tamara Afifi, PhD

  University of California, Santa Barbara

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

• Kyle Rand, B.A.

  Rendever Co.

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

• Nancy Collins, PhD

  University of California, Santa Barbara

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Publication Agreements

• PI is Sponsor Employee: No
• Restrictive Agreement: No

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: BASIC SCIENCE
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Professor

Model Details: Dyads (older adult and adult child) will be randomly assigned to one of two intervention groups (two types of technology): (1) virtual reality, or (2) video chat (active control)

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: October 28, 2021
• First Posted: December 9, 2021
• Study Start: October 2, 2021
• Primary Completion: March 16, 2024
• Study Completion: March 16, 2024
• Last Updated: July 15, 2025
• Results First Posted: July 15, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-06

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will share
• Shared Documents: STUDY PROTOCOL, ICF
• Time Frame: Deidentified data and related files will be made available in the NACDA-OAR repository no later than within one year of the completion of the funded project period or upon the first publication of the data online. Data will be posted indefinitely.
• Access Criteria: Data will be deposited and made available through NACDA-Open Aging Repository (NACDA-OAR) and will be shared with investigators working under an institution with a Federal Wide Assurance (FWA). Data can be used for secondary study purposes. Users will be required to register on the password-protected site in order to access the data files, which includes agreeing to the conditions of use related to the public release of the data. This includes not using any identifying information, ethical reporting, not selling the data to third parties, acknowledging the data source, and destroying the data upon use.

Locations

US (27)