NCT07591194

Brief Summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to investigate the acute effects of immersive virtual reality (VR)-based exergaming combined with transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on executive functions in healthy older adults. The main questions it aims to answer are:

  • Does VR-based exergaming combined with tDCS improve executive function performance in healthy older adults compared with a control condition?
  • Do single interventions (tDCS alone or VR-based exergaming alone) improve executive function performance compared with the control condition?
  • Does the combined intervention produce greater improvements in executive function performance than either intervention alone? Researchers will compare four intervention conditions to evaluate differences in executive function performance following each session. Participants will:
  • Complete four intervention sessions in a randomized crossover sequence, with a washout period of at least 7 days between sessions
  • Receive the following intervention conditions:
  • sham-tDCS + VR-video
  • tDCS + VR-video
  • sham-tDCS + VR-exergaming
  • tDCS + VR-exergaming
  • Complete executive function assessments immediately after each session, including:
  • the Flanker task for inhibitory control
  • the more-odd shifting task for cognitive flexibility
  • the Corsi block-tapping task for working memory

Trial Health

65
Monitor

Trial Health Score

Automated assessment based on enrollment pace, timeline, and geographic reach

Enrollment
24

participants targeted

Target at below P25 for not_applicable

Timeline
1mo left

Started May 2026

Shorter than P25 for not_applicable

Status
not yet recruiting

Health score is calculated from publicly available data and should be used for screening purposes only.

Trial Relationships

Click on a node to explore related trials.

Study Timeline

Key milestones and dates

Study Progress9%
May 2026Jun 2026

First Submitted

Initial submission to the registry

May 9, 2026

Completed
6 days until next milestone

First Posted

Study publicly available on registry

May 15, 2026

Completed
5 days until next milestone

Study Start

First participant enrolled

May 20, 2026

Completed
1 month until next milestone

Primary Completion

Last participant's last visit for primary outcome

June 25, 2026

Expected
Same day until next milestone

Study Completion

Last participant's last visit for all outcomes

June 25, 2026

Last Updated

May 15, 2026

Status Verified

May 1, 2026

Enrollment Period

1 month

First QC Date

May 9, 2026

Last Update Submit

May 9, 2026

Conditions

Healthy Older Adults

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

  • Reaction time and accuracy of inhibitory control are assessed by the Flanker task.

    Immediately after the intervention.

Secondary Outcomes (2)

  • Reaction time and accuracy of cognitive flexibility are assessed by more odds shifting task.

    Immediately after the intervention.

  • Scores of working memory are assessed by the Corsi Block-Tapping Task

    Immediately after the intervention.

Study Arms (4)

Sham tDCS + VR-video

SHAM COMPARATOR

Participants receive sham transcranial direct current stimulation and then watch a virtual reality video.

Device: sham transcranial direct current stimulationBehavioral: VR-video

tDCS + VR-video

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants receive active transcranial direct current stimulation and then watch a virtual reality video.

Device: transcranial direct current stimulationBehavioral: VR-video

Sham tDCS + VR-exergaming

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants receive sham transcranial direct current stimulation combined with immersive virtual reality-based exergaming.

Device: sham transcranial direct current stimulationBehavioral: VR-exergaming

tDCS + VR-exergaming

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants receive active transcranial direct current stimulation combined with immersive virtual reality-based exergaming.

Device: transcranial direct current stimulationBehavioral: VR-exergaming

Interventions

transcranial direct current stimulationDEVICE

The anodal electrode is positioned over the left DLPFC (F3), and the cathodal electrode is placed over the right supraorbital area. The transcranial direct current stimulation is applied for 20 min at an intensity of 2 mA, with 15 s ramp-up and 15 s ramp-down.

tDCS + VR-exergamingtDCS + VR-video
sham transcranial direct current stimulationDEVICE

The anodal electrode is positioned over the left DLPFC (F3), and the cathodal electrode is placed over the right supraorbital area. Sham stimulation is applied in the same locations for 20 min with only 15s ramp-up and 15s ramp-down stimulation to mimic the sensory experience of real stimulation.

Sham tDCS + VR-exergamingSham tDCS + VR-video
VR-exergamingBEHAVIORAL

For the VR-exergaming condition, participants engage in an interactive rhythm-based fitness game called PowerBeatsVR. It immerses participants in a virtual exercise environment accompanied by dynamic musical beats, with punching and tracking movements. The VR-exergaming consisted of four cycles of 3.5 min, each separated by a 2-min rest interval, for a total duration of 20 min

Sham tDCS + VR-exergamingtDCS + VR-exergaming
VR-videoBEHAVIORAL

For the VR-video condition, participants view a mild plant documentary called Journey of Chinese Plants through the same VR headset. VR-video intervention consisted of four cycles of 3.5 min, each separated by a 2-min rest interval, for a total duration of 20 min

Sham tDCS + VR-videotDCS + VR-video

Eligibility Criteria

Age60 Years - 70 Years
Sexall
Healthy VolunteersYes
Age GroupsAdult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

  • (1) Age between 60 to 70 years old; (2) Right-handed (Edinburgh Handedness Inventory (Chinese version) \> 40); (3) Normal overall cognitive function (Montreal Cognitive Assessment (Beijing version) ≥ 26).

You may not qualify if:

  • (1) Musculoskeletal injury; (2) neurological/neurodegenerative disorders (e.g., Alzheimer's disease); (3) history of brain infections or cerebrovascular diseases; (4) psychiatric disorders (e.g., major depressive disorder, schizophrenia); (5) unstable or chronic medical conditions (e.g., cardiac disease, seizures (personal/family history)); (6) hearing and visual impairments (e.g., color blindness and conditions severely affecting the ability to see the screen or distinguish colors); (7) metal implants (e.g., pacemakers); (8) brain stimulation or exercise training intervention within the past 6 months; (9) failure to meet safety criteria for brain stimulation (e.g., pregnancy)

Contact the study team to confirm eligibility.

Sponsors & Collaborators

MeSH Terms

Interventions

Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Electric Stimulation TherapyTherapeuticsConvulsive TherapyPsychiatric Somatic TherapiesBehavioral Disciplines and ActivitiesElectroshockPsychological Techniques

Central Study Contacts

Mengdie Hu

CONTACT

86+13011852188mengdie.hu0818@hotmail.com

Study Design

Study Type
interventional
Phase
not applicable
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Masking
NONE
Purpose
OTHER
Intervention Model
CROSSOVER
Sponsor Type
OTHER
Responsible Party
SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

First Submitted

May 9, 2026

First Posted

May 15, 2026

Study Start

May 20, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

June 25, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

June 25, 2026

Last Updated

May 15, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-05