VR vs Treadmill Exercise in Children With Asthma

NCT07610447 | Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: 2026/50
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 30
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

This study aims to compare the effects of virtual reality-based aerobic exercise and treadmill-based aerobic exercise on functional capacity, pulmonary function, and clinical outcomes in children with asthma. Participants aged 10-17 years with physician-diagnosed asthma will be randomly assigned to either a virtual reality-based exercise group or a treadmill exercise group. Both groups will undergo supervised exercise training sessions twice a week for 8 weeks. Primary outcome will be the 6-Minute Walk Test. Secondary outcomes include pulmonary function, respiratory muscle strength, asthma control, quality of life, and exercise adherence.

Conditions

Asthma (Diagnosis)

Keywords

Virtual Reality; Asthma; Aerobic Exercise; Pediatric Pulmonology; Exercise Training; Treadmill

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Functional Capacity: 6-Minute Walk Test Distance

  Functional capacity assessed by the 6-Minute Walk Test. The total distance covered during the test will be recorded in meters.

  Baseline and Week 8

Secondary Outcomes (9)

• Forced Expiratory Volume in 1 Second (FEV1)

  Baseline and Week 8

• Forced Vital Capacity (FVC)

  Baseline and Week 8

• FEV1/FVC Ratio

  Baseline and Week 8

• Peak Expiratory Flow (PEF)

  Baseline and Week 8

• Forced Expiratory Flow at 25-75% (FEF25-75)

  Baseline and Week 8

Study Arms (2)

Treadmill Exercise Group

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Participants in this group will receive supervised moderate-intensity treadmill-based aerobic exercise sessions. Each session will include a 5-minute warm-up, 30-minute aerobic exercise, and 5-minute cool-down period, performed twice weekly for 8 weeks.

Behavioral: Treadmill-Based Aerobic Exercise

Virtual Reality-Based Exercise Group

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants in this group will receive supervised virtual reality-based aerobic exercise sessions using a Meta Quest 3S headset and game-based activities. Each session will include a 5-minute warm-up, 30-minute aerobic exercise, and 5-minute cool-down period, performed twice weekly for 8 weeks.

Device: Virtual Reality-Based Aerobic Exercise

Interventions

Virtual Reality-Based Aerobic Exercise DEVICE

Participants will perform supervised moderate-intensity aerobic exercise using a Meta Quest 3S virtual reality headset and game-based activities. Each session will include a 5-minute warm-up period, 30 minutes of aerobic exercise, and a 5-minute cool-down period. Sessions will be conducted twice weekly for 8 week

Virtual Reality-Based Exercise Group

Treadmill-Based Aerobic Exercise BEHAVIORAL

Participants will perform supervised moderate-intensity treadmill-based aerobic exercise. Each session will include a 5-minute warm-up period, 30 minutes of aerobic exercise, and a 5-minute cool-down period. Sessions will be conducted twice weekly for 8 weeks.

Treadmill Exercise Group

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 10 Years - 17 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Child (0-17)

You may qualify if:

• Children and adolescents aged between 10 and 17 years
• Physician-diagnosed asthma according to Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) criteria
• Stable medical treatment for asthma
• Ability to participate in an aerobic exercise program
• Willingness of the participant and parent/legal guardian to provide informed consent

You may not qualify if:

• Presence of orthopedic, neurological, cardiovascular, or systemic conditions limiting participation in exercise
• Contraindications to virtual reality use (e.g., epilepsy, photosensitivity)
• Participation in a structured exercise program within the previous month
• Asthma exacerbation within the previous month
• Obesity diagnosis

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Bezmialem Vakif University: lead

Study Sites (1)

Bezmialem Vakif University

Istanbul, Eyupsultan, Turkey (Türkiye)

RECRUITING

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Asthma; Disease

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Bronchial Diseases; Respiratory Tract Diseases; Lung Diseases, Obstructive; Lung Diseases; Respiratory Hypersensitivity; Hypersensitivity, Immediate; Hypersensitivity; Immune System Diseases; Pathologic Processes; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms

Central Study Contacts

Ayşe Sena Manzak Dursun, PT, PhD

CONTACT

+905356735150; amanzak@bezmialem.edu.tr

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Masking Details: Due to the nature of the exercise interventions, participants, care providers, and investigators cannot be blinded. However, outcome assessments will be performed by an independent assessor blinded to group allocation.
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Assistant Professor

Model Details: Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two parallel groups: a virtual reality-based aerobic exercise group or a treadmill-based aerobic exercise group. Both groups will receive supervised exercise sessions twice weekly for 8 weeks and will undergo pre- and post-intervention assessments.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: May 15, 2026
• First Posted: May 28, 2026
• Study Start: May 25, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): May 10, 2027
• Study Completion (Estimated): May 10, 2027
• Last Updated: May 28, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-05

Locations

TU (1)