Investigation of the Effects of Virtual Reality Applications on Individuals Diagnosed With Schizophrenia

NCT07027085 | Active Not Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: NiğdeOHU.OT.
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 52
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Despite all the positive facts about the use of virtual reality technology in the assessment and treatment of schizophrenia, there are few publications per year. There are few controlled studies covering the effectiveness of virtual reality programs in the training of cognitive and social skills. In future research, more randomized studies with more robust samples are expected, because the results of experimental studies so far encourage this new treatment approach. Therefore, the aim of this study is to examine the effects of virtual reality application on sensory, social and cognitive areas in individuals with schizophrenia.

Conditions

Schizophrenia Disorders

Keywords

virtual reality; social skill training; cognition; sensory processing

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (4)

• Mini Mental State Examination

  The Mini Mental State Examination was first published by Folstein et al. (1975). It consists of eleven items grouped under five main headings: orientation, recording memory, attention and calculation, recall, and language, and is evaluated out of a total of 30 points.

  at the beginning (baseline) and end of the intervention (7 weeks)

• Social Functioning Assessment Scale

  The Social Functioning Assessment Scale (SAF) will be used for social functioning. This scale, developed in Turkey, assesses social functioning in schizophrenia patients with 19 items and four sub-dimensions. The factors include interpersonal relationships and entertainment with seven items, self-care with seven items, independent living skills with four items, and work life with one item. The score that can be obtained from the scale is between 19 and 57, with a high score indicating a high level of social functioning.

  at the beginning (baseline) and end of the intervention (7 weeks)

• Adolescent/Adult Sensory Profile

  The Adolescent/Adult Sensory Profile will be used to examine sensory areas. Adolescent/Adult. Sensory Profile is a scale consisting of 60 items. It evaluates the response of 6 sensory patterns to different sensory stimuli. It is used in adolescents and adults aged 11 and above. The 60 items in the Sensory Profile are divided into four categories, each with 15 items equally divided into four categories, each belonging to a different sensory processing pattern. These are: low registration, sensory seeking, sensory sensitivity, sensory avoidance. Using a five-point Likert scale, participants are asked to rate how often they respond to the sensory event/experience described in each item. Each category results in a score range of 5 to 75. Each age group (11-18, 18-65, and 65 and above) has different norm values. The higher the score, the more characteristics the individual exhibits for sensory processing patterns. For example, the higher the score an individual obtains in the "low-recordin

  at the beginning (baseline) and end of the intervention (7 weeks)

• Schizophrenia Cognitive Assessment Scale

  The Schizophrenia Cognitive Assessment Scale (SCAS) will be used for cognitive assessment. The Schizophrenia Cognitive Assessment Scale was developed by Keefe and colleagues in 2005 and consists of 20 items to determine the degree of cognitive impairment and its effects on daily functioning in schizophrenia patients. The items included in the scale were developed to evaluate attention, memory, reasoning and problem solving, working memory, language production and motor skills, which are frequently affected by neurocognitive impairment in schizophrenia patients and closely related to psychosocial functioning. The average application time of the scale is 12 minutes. Each of the 20 items is evaluated on a severity level ranging from 1 to 4, with higher scores indicating a greater degree of impairment. Information is obtained from three separate sources: the patient himself/herself, the patient's relative who provides information, and the interviewer, who is the physician who follows the

  at the beginning (baseline) and end of the intervention (7 weeks)

Secondary Outcomes (2)

• Scale for the Assessment of Positive Symptoms

  at the beginning (baseline) and end of the intervention (7 weeks)

• Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms

  at the beginning (baseline) and end of the intervention (7 weeks)

Study Arms (2)

intervention group

EXPERIMENTAL

Device: virtual reality

control group

NO INTERVENTION

Interventions

virtual reality DEVICE

The intervention group will be applied 14 sessions of virtual reality application, each session lasting 30 minutes and 2 sessions per week. The sessions will be held in a room allocated for this study in the community mental health center. The device on which the application will be made was determined as Meta Quest 3. The contents to be used in the device were determined to be in line with the areas to be examined.

intervention group

Eligibility Criteria

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

You may qualify if:

• Being diagnosed with schizophrenia
• Volunteering to participate in the study
• Being an adult between the ages of 18-65
• Not in an acute or exacerbated phase
• Scoring 19 or more on the Mini Mental State Examination

You may not qualify if:

• Patients who have another psychological or neurological disease other than schizophrenia
• Who are unable to give their own consent will not be included in the study.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Nigde Omer Halisdemir University: lead

Study Sites (1)

Niğde Ömer Halisdemir University

Niğde, Turkey (Türkiye)

Location

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MeSH Terms

Conditions

Schizophrenia

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Schizophrenia Spectrum and Other Psychotic Disorders; Mental Disorders

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Lecturer

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: June 2, 2025
• First Posted: June 18, 2025
• Study Start: June 2, 2025
• Primary Completion: October 1, 2025
• Study Completion: December 1, 2025
• Last Updated: June 18, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-06

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

TU (1)