Scenario-Driven Virtual Reality Game for Dementia Education Program

NCT07238439 | Enrolling By Invitation DMC

• 1 other identifier: 3759-KEPK
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 200
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

• Terminology Clarification: In the previous study (NCT06629844), the term ' virtual reality (VR)' referred to a 360-degree video viewed through a VR headset. This format offered an immersive experience but was non-interactive. In contrast, the current study uses an 'ASA VR' intervention, which is a scenario-driven, interactive virtual reality simulation. Participants take part in role-playing with an artificial intelligence (AI) character representing a person living with dementia. This distinction is crucial for understanding the study design and results, as the cognitive and experiential demands of the two formats differ greatly.
• Brief Summary: This nested 2x2 factorial quasi-experimental design study focuses on Indonesian nursing students and aims to examine the effectiveness of scenario-driven virtual reality (VR) dementia educational programs. The study uses a four-arm design to evaluate different combinations of interventions. The study addresses the following research questions: What is the effect of a Scenario-Driven VR dementia education program on improving participants' attitude, knowledge, intention to help people living with dementia, ageist attitudes, and participant satisfaction with the Scenario-Driven VR dementia education program? Participants will voluntarily join a 30-minute class education program, with each participant attending only once. The program, integrated into the faculty's dementia-related courses, will be structured around a series of components, including an introduction, Scenario-Driven VR, a post-program questionnaire, and a conclusion.

Conditions

Dementia

Keywords

Aged; Dementia; Education program; Healthcare student; Long-term care; Virtual reality

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Primary Outcome Measure: Attitudes Toward People with Dementia Scale

  Participants' attitudes toward persons living with dementia (PLWD) will be assessed using the Attitudes Toward People with Dementia Scale, developed by Kim K and Kuroda K. (Kim K, Kuroda K. Factors related to attitudes toward people with dementia: Development of the Attitude Toward Dementia Scale and Dementia Knowledge Scale. Bulletin of Social Medicine. 2011; 28(1), 43-55). The original scale was published in Japanese, and a forward-backward translation process was conducted to produce the Indonesian version of the scale. The questionnaire consists of 14 items and is designed to evaluate participants' attitudes toward PLWD. The estimated time to complete the questionnaire is 3-5minutes.

  Immediately post-intervention (T4), on the same day, within 0-60 minutes after session end.

Secondary Outcomes (4)

• Knowledge of Dementia

  Immediately post-intervention (T4), on the same day, within 0-60 minutes after session end.

• Intention to Help Persons Living with Dementia

  Immediately post-intervention (T4), on the same day, within 0-60 minutes after session end.

• Ageist Attitudes Towards Older Adults

  Immediately post-intervention (T4), on the same day, within 0-60 minutes after session end.

• User Experience Questionnaire

  Immediately post-intervention (T4), on the same day, within 0-60 minutes after session end.

Study Arms (4)

VR-Experienced + ASA VR Group

EXPERIMENTAL

This arm includes participants who have previously engaged with a VR-based dementia education program. For this study, they will receive the full intervention, which combines the ASA VR content. Purpose: This group helps assess the incremental benefit of the ASA content when integrated with prior VR exposure, evaluating how additional structured content enhances existing VR learning.

Other: VR-Experienced + ASA VR Group

VR-Experienced + Standard Control Group

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

This arm consists of participants who have also previously engaged with a VR-based dementia education program. However, for this study, they will only receive the standard course material on dementia through the university's e-learning platform. They will not receive any ASA VR exposure. Purpose: This group serves as a comparison to Arm 1, helping to isolate the specific impact of the ASA VR intervention for those with prior VR experience, by observing outcomes when no further structured intervention is provided beyond the regular curriculum.

Other: VR-Experienced + Standard Control Group

VR-Unexposed + ASA VR Group

EXPERIMENTAL

This arm comprises participants who have no prior exposure to a VR-based dementia education program. For this study, they will receive the full intervention, combining the immersive ASA VR content. Purpose: This group allows for a direct assessment of the overall effectiveness of the complete ASA VR program for students new to this type of intervention, comparing it against conventional learning for a previously unexposed group.

Other: VR-Unexposed + ASA VR Group

VR-Unexposed + Standard Control Group

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

This arm includes participants who have no prior exposure to a VR-based dementia education program. For this study, they will only receive the standard course material on dementia through the university's e-learning platform. They will not receive any ASA VR content. Purpose: This group acts as a true control, representing the outcomes of conventional dementia education through the university's regular e-learning, for students who have not had any previous VR exposure.

Other: VR-Unexposed + Standard Control Group

Interventions

VR-Experienced + ASA VR Group OTHER

Participants will attend a single 60-minute session consisting of five components: a 5-minute introduction to welcome participants and outline objectives, followed by a 10-minute study briefing in which the PI explains the study aims, participant roles, and emphasizes voluntary participation, confidentiality, and informed consent. The core 30-minute intervention involves a scenario-driven Virtual Reality Dementia Game where participants role-play interactions with an AI avatar simulating a person living with dementia. The structured storyline is designed to immerse learners in realistic care situations, directly supporting the learning objectives while fostering empathy, understanding, and positive attitudes toward dementia care. Immediately after, students complete a 10-minute post-program questionnaire (T4) to assess attitudinal and knowledge changes. The session concludes with a 5-minute closing that summarizes the activities.

VR-Experienced + ASA VR Group

VR-Experienced + Standard Control Group OTHER

Participants in these arms will access dementia-related content through the university's existing e-learning platform as part of their regular curriculum. These groups will not receive a special intervention session from this study and will serve as control groups for the ASA VR program. All participant groups will complete the post-intervention (T4) questionnaires at designated times to measure the study's primary and secondary outcomes.

VR-Experienced + Standard Control Group

VR-Unexposed + ASA VR Group OTHER

Participants will attend a single 60-minute session consisting of five components: a 5-minute introduction to welcome participants and outline objectives, followed by a 10-minute study briefing in which the PI explains the study aims, participant roles, and emphasizes voluntary participation, confidentiality, and informed consent. The core 30-minute intervention involves a scenario-driven Virtual Reality Dementia Game where participants role-play interactions with an AI avatar simulating a person living with dementia. The structured storyline is designed to immerse learners in realistic care situations, directly supporting the learning objectives while fostering empathy, understanding, and positive attitudes toward dementia care. Immediately after, students complete a 10-minute post-program questionnaire (T4) to assess attitudinal and knowledge changes. The session concludes with a 5-minute closing that summarizes the activities.

VR-Unexposed + ASA VR Group

VR-Unexposed + Standard Control Group OTHER

Participants in these arms will access dementia-related content through the university's existing e-learning platform as part of their regular curriculum. These groups will not receive a special intervention session from this study and will serve as control groups for the ASA VR program. All participant groups will complete the post-intervention (T4) questionnaires at designated times to measure the study's primary and secondary outcomes.

VR-Unexposed + Standard Control Group

Eligibility Criteria

• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Child (0-17), Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Registered nursing students at Universitas Airlangga in the designated semester and courses (academic year 2025/2026).
• Provide informed consent.

You may not qualify if:

• Not enrolled in the specified semester/courses.
• Prior participation in a scenario-driven VR dementia education program similar to ASA VR that could influence outcomes.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Universitas Airlangga: lead
• Chiba University: collaborator
• Tokyo University: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

Universitas Airlangga

Surabaya, East Java, 60115, Indonesia

Location

Related Publications (3)

• Wu J, Igarashi A, Suzuki H, Matsumoto H, Kugai H, Takaoka M, Yamamoto-Mitani N. Effects of a dementia educational programme using virtual reality on nurses in an acute care hospital: A pre-post comparative study. Int J Older People Nurs. 2024 May;19(3):e12616. doi: 10.1111/opn.12616.

  PMID: 38769648 BACKGROUND

• Suzuki H, Igarashi A, Matsumoto H, Kugai H, Takaoka M, Sakka M, Ito K, Hagiwara Y, Yamamoto-Mitani N. A Dementia-Friendly Educational Program Using Virtual Reality for the General Public in Japan: A Randomized Controlled Trial for DRIVE. Gerontologist. 2024 Nov 1;64(11):gnae113. doi: 10.1093/geront/gnae113.

  PMID: 39140623 BACKGROUND

• Sari DW, Igarashi A, Takaoka M, Yamahana R, Noguchi-Watanabe M, Teramoto C, Yamamoto-Mitani N. Virtual reality program to develop dementia-friendly communities in Japan. Australas J Ageing. 2020 Sep;39(3):e352-e359. doi: 10.1111/ajag.12797. Epub 2020 Jun 2.

  PMID: 32483931 BACKGROUND

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Dementia

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Brain Diseases; Central Nervous System Diseases; Nervous System Diseases; Neurocognitive Disorders; Mental Disorders

Study Design

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

Model Details: Participants in this study were drawn from a previous study (NCT06629844), which employed a quasi-experimental, two-arm design. In the current study, each of the two groups from the previous study (intervention and control) was further divided into two subgroups, resulting in a total of four groups.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: September 20, 2025
• First Posted: November 20, 2025
• Study Start: September 1, 2025
• Primary Completion: December 30, 2025
• Study Completion (Estimated): June 30, 2026
• Last Updated: November 20, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-11

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

ID (1)