Effects of virtual reality guided meditation in older adults: the protocol of a pilot randomized controlled trial

Karin Cinalioglu; Paola Lavín; Magnus Bein; Myriam Lesage; Johanna Gruber; Jade Se; Syeda Bukhari; Neeti Sasi; Helen Noble; Marie Andree-Bruneau; Cyrille Launay; Justin Sanders; Serge Gauthier; Pedro Rosa; Michael Lifshitz; Bruno J Battistini; Olivier Beauchet; Bassam Khoury; Stephane Bouchard; Pascal Fallavollita; Ipsit Vahia; Soham Rej; Harmehr Sekhon

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1083219

Effects of virtual reality guided meditation in older adults: the protocol of a pilot randomized controlled trial

Front Psychol. 2023 Jul 28:14:1083219. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1083219. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Karin Cinalioglu^{1

2

3}, Paola Lavín^{2

3}, Magnus Bein³, Myriam Lesage^{2

3}, Johanna Gruber³, Jade Se³, Syeda Bukhari^{2

3}, Neeti Sasi³, Helen Noble⁴, Marie Andree-Bruneau^{5

6}, Cyrille Launay⁷, Justin Sanders⁸, Serge Gauthier⁹, Pedro Rosa⁹, Michael Lifshitz^{1

2}, Bruno J Battistini¹⁰, Olivier Beauchet⁷, Bassam Khoury¹¹, Stephane Bouchard¹², Pascal Fallavollita¹⁰, Ipsit Vahia¹³, Soham Rej^{1

2

3}, Harmehr Sekhon^{2

3}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
² Jewish General Hospital, Lady Davis Institute, Montreal, QC, Canada.
³ GeriPARTy Research Lab, Montreal, QC, Canada.
⁴ Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, United Kingdom.
⁵ Department of Psychiatry and Addictology, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada.
⁶ Geriatric Institute Research Center, Montreal, QC, Canada.
⁷ Department of Medicine, Division of Geriatric Medicine, Jewish General Hospital and Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
⁸ Department of Family Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
⁹ McGill Center for Studies in Aging, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
¹⁰ Faculty of Health Sciences, Interdisciplinary School of Health Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
¹¹ Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology, Faculty of Education, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
¹² Department of Psychoeducation and Psychology, Université du Québec Outaouais, Gatineau, QC, Canada.
¹³ Division of Geriatric Psychiatry, McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States.

Abstract

Background: Virtual reality (VR) based meditation has been shown to help increase relaxation and decrease anxiety and depression in younger adults. However, this has not been studied in Randomized Controlled Trials (RCT) in the older adult population. The aim of this RCT is to assess the feasibility and acceptability of a VR-guided meditation intervention for community-dwelling older adults and its effect on stress and mental health.

Methods: We will recruit 30 participants aged ≥ 60 years, whose perceived stress score (PSS) is > 14 (moderate stress), and randomize them 1:1 to the intervention or control waitlist group. The intervention will involve exposure to eight 15-min VR-guided meditation sessions distributed twice weekly for 4-weeks. Two modalities will be offered: in-home and at the hospital.

Data analysis: Baseline and post-intervention assessments will evaluate perceived stress, anxiety, depression, sleep quality, quality of life, and mindfulness skills. Analyses will employ mixed methods repeated ANOVA tests. Qualitative analyses through semi-structured interviews and participant observation will be used to assess participants' experiences. Study outcomes include: (A) feasibility and acceptability compared to a waitlist control (B) stress, using the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS); (C) anxiety, and depression, using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9); (D) insomnia, quality of life and mindfulness skills, using the Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS), Quality of Life Questionnaire (EQ-5D-5L) and Five Facets Mindfulness Questionnaire Short Forms (FFMQ-SF), respectively. We will also measure immersive tendencies, sickness and sense of presence using the Simulator Sickness Questionnaire (SSQ) and the Presence Questionnaire (PQ).

Discussion: Virtual reality-guided meditation could be an acceptable, feasible, safe, and cost-effective novel alternative health intervention for improving older adults' mental health.Clinical trial registration: NCT05315609 at https://clinicaltrials.gov.

Keywords: anxiety; depression; meditation; mindfulness; older adults; virtual reality.

Copyright © 2023 Cinalioglu, Lavín, Bein, Lesage, Gruber, Se, Bukhari, Sasi, Noble, Andree-Bruneau, Launay, Sanders, Gauthier, Rosa, Lifshitz, Battistini, Beauchet, Khoury, Bouchard, Fallavollita, Vahia, Rej and Sekhon.

Associated data

ClinicalTrials.gov/NCT05315609