Parkinson DiseaseVCYCLE_PDNCT04804202
Virtual Cycling Environments for Persons With Parkinson Disease
A study testing Bicycling with and without virtual reality in people with Parkinson Disease, run by Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey at 2 sites in United States.
Trial summary
This study asks three questions about Persons with Parkinson Disease that use a bicycle for exercise. 1. Does the use of virtual reality increase the intensity and and enjoyment of the experience compared to bicycling without virtual reality? 2. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 45 to 75 years
- Conditions the study is for
- Parkinson Disease
- What is being tested?
- Bicycling with and without virtual reality
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 60 participants
- Where
- 2 sitesUnited States
- Study dates
- 8 Feb 2021to 30 Dec 2027
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 45 to 75 years
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Diagnosis of Parkinson's disease
- Hoehn and Yahr stages II-III,
- 45-75 years old
- able to ride a stationary upright bicycle
- able to sign informed consent.
Who cannot join
- Have a recent history of severe heart disease, severe lung disease, uncontrolled diabetes, traumatic brain injury or neurological disorder other than Parkinson Disease.
- Are unable to follow directions or sign a consent form
- Do not have adequate vision or hearing ability to see or hear a television
- Have unstable medical condition or musculoskeletal disorder such as severe arthritis, recent knee surgery, hip surgery, or any other condition that the investigators determine would impair the ability to ride the bicycle
- Have any other medical condition that prevents bicycling
- Have moderate depression
Trial locations and contacts
2 sites in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
United States2 sites, 1 recruiting
- Recruiting
School of Health Professions
Newark, New Jersey, 07011
Judith E. Deutsch, 973-972-2373, deutsch@rutgers.edu
- Completed
New York Institute of Technology
Old Westbury, New York, 11568
About this study
Official title: Virtual Cycling Environments (VCYCLE) Increases Exercise Intensity of Persons With Parkinson Disease
This study asks three questions about Persons with Parkinson Disease that use a bicycle for exercise. 1. Does the use of virtual reality increase the intensity and and enjoyment of the experience compared to bicycling without virtual reality? 2. Does the way in which the bicycling (interval compared to continous) is performed affect the experience? 3. How does the way the virtual reality is delivered (with goggles or projected on a screen) affect the experience?
Read the detailed description
Participants attend two sessions. They complete movement assessments and questionnaires about physical activity. During the first session they bicycle in a semi-immersive (projected on a screen) and an immersive (with googles) virtual environment. After each bout they completed a questionnaire about the experience. In the second session they bicycle four times with and without a virtual environment using both a continous and interval mode. Their oxygen consumption is measured during cycling. They complete questionnaires after each exercise bout.
- Conditions
- Parkinson Disease
- Being tested
- Bicycling with and without virtual reality
- Keywords
- virtual reality, exercise, cardiovascular intensity, neuromuscular intensity, enjoyment
- Medical subject headings
- Parkinson Disease, Motor Activity
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Bicycling with and without virtual realityOther
In one session: Exercise intensity and enjoyment are measured while participants bicycle in a virtual compared to non-virtual environment. Cycling takes places in two modes continous and interval. In a second session exercise intensity and enjoyment are compared during bicycling with virtual reality presented in two different ways.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Reality | Other | This is a single arm study in which all participants will execute the same tasks over two sessions. Receives: Other: Bicycling with and without virtual reality |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Neuromuscular Intensity
bicycling cadence collected continuously
Measured: Collected in two sessions: Session 1(day 1 for 2 hours) collected continuously during 2 exercise bouts to compare exercise bouts.____Session 2 (day 2 for 2 hours) collected continuously in four exercise bouts to compare exercise bouts
Physiological Responses to Exercise- Oxygen Consumption
Metabolic equivalents derived from oxygen consumption which is collected continuously during four exercise bouts.
Measured: Collected in two sessions: Session 1(day 1 for 2 hours) collected continuously during 2 exercise bouts to compare exercise bouts___ Session 2 (day 2 for 2 hours) collected continuously in four exercise bouts to compare exercise bouts
Enjoyment-Motivation
Intrinsic Motivation Inventory Enjoyment sub-scales collected at the end of each exercise bout
Measured: Collected in two sessions: Session 1 collected continuously during 2 exercise bouts in a 2 hour Session 2: in four exercise bouts in a 2 hour session to compare exercise bouts
Heart Rate % of maximum
Collected continuously during exercise bouts and will be evaluated as a % of age adjusted maximum heart rate
Measured: Collected in two sessions: Session 1 collected continuously during 2 exercise bouts in a 2 hour Session 2: in four exercise bouts in a 2 hour session to compare exercise bouts
Secondary outcomes (4)
Borg Scale for Rate of perceived exertion
Self-Report of Effort collected at a multiple time points to compare with exercise bouts
Measured: Collected in both Day 1 and 2 (each day is two hours) as follows: Day 1 (4 times in each of the two cycling bouts) Day 2 (6 times each of the four cycling bouts)
Cyber sickness Questionnaire
16 item questionnaire about feelings or symptoms of cyber sickness
Measured: Collected in Day 1 (2 hour session) twice to compare before and after scores
Perceived Effort Ranking
Rating of Bicycling Conditions relative to each other (and audio recording of experience)
Measured: Collected in once in day 1 and once in day 2
Enjoyment Ranking
Rating of Bicycling Conditions relative to each other (and audio recording of experience)
Measured: Collected in once in day 1 and once in day 2
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted18 Mar 2021
- Study start8 Feb 2021
- Primary completionAug 2026 (estimated)
- Study completion30 Dec 2027 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Parkinson DiseaseStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by Rutgers, The State University of New JerseyThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Other
- Allocation
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Model description
- Repeated Measures Design
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 60 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- National Institute on Aging (NIA), New York Institute of Technology
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Judith E Deutsch, PT, PhD, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
- Investigators
- Judith E. Deutsch, PT PhD, Principal investigator, Rutgers
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT04804202
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- Pro202000518
- Other IDs
- R15AG063348-01
- Acronym
- VCYCLE_PD
- Status last verified
- Jul 2026
- First submitted
- 2 Mar 2021
- Last updated
- 13 Jul 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- Yes
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Yes: Immediately following completion of our proposed study we will submit a de-identified data set of our protocol and links to published papers.
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 13 Jul 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Virtual Cycling Environments (VCYCLE) Increases Exercise Intensity of Persons With Parkinson Disease
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT04804202
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- VCYCLE_PD / Pro202000518
- Conditions
- Parkinson Disease
- Keywords
- virtual reality, exercise, cardiovascular intensity, neuromuscular intensity, enjoyment
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Recruiting
- Enrolment
- 60 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Rutgers, The State University of New JerseyUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- National Institute on Aging (NIA), New York Institute of Technology
- Study start
- 8 Feb 2021 (actual)
- Primary completion
- Aug 2026 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 30 Dec 2027 (estimated)
- First posted
- 18 Mar 2021 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
This study asks three questions about Persons with Parkinson Disease that use a bicycle for exercise. 1. Does the use of virtual reality increase the intensity and and enjoyment of the experience compared to bicycling without virtual reality? 2. Does the way in which the bicycling (interval compared to continous) is performed affect the experience? 3. How does the way the virtual reality is delivered (with goggles or projected on a screen) affect the experience?
Detailed description
Participants attend two sessions. They complete movement assessments and questionnaires about physical activity. During the first session they bicycle in a semi-immersive (projected on a screen) and an immersive (with googles) virtual environment. After each bout they completed a questionnaire about the experience. In the second session they bicycle four times with and without a virtual environment using both a continous and interval mode. Their oxygen consumption is measured during cycling. They complete questionnaires after each exercise bout.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Other
- Allocation
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 1
- Model description
- Repeated Measures Design
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Reality | Other | Other: Bicycling with and without virtual realityThis is a single arm study in which all participants will execute the same tasks over two sessions. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 45 to 75 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (5 listed)
- Diagnosis of Parkinson's disease
- Hoehn and Yahr stages II-III,
- 45-75 years old
- able to ride a stationary upright bicycle
- able to sign informed consent.
Key exclusion criteria (6 listed)
- Have a recent history of severe heart disease, severe lung disease, uncontrolled diabetes, traumatic brain injury or neurological disorder other than Parkinson Disease.
- Are unable to follow directions or sign a consent form
- Do not have adequate vision or hearing ability to see or hear a television
- Have unstable medical condition or musculoskeletal disorder such as severe arthritis, recent knee surgery, hip surgery, or any other condition that the investigators determine would impair the ability to ride the bicycle
- Have any other medical condition that prevents bicycling
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Bicycling with and without virtual realityIn one session: Exercise intensity and enjoyment are measured while participants bicycle in a virtual compared to non-virtual environment. Cycling takes places in two modes continous and interval. In a second session exercise intensity and enjoyment are compared during bicycling with virtual reality presented in two different ways. | Other | Virtual Reality |
Primary outcome
Neuromuscular Intensity
Time frame: Collected in two sessions: Session 1(day 1 for 2 hours) collected continuously during 2 exercise bouts to compare exercise bouts.____Session 2 (day 2 for 2 hours) collected continuously in four exercise bouts to compare exercise bouts
bicycling cadence collected continuously
Physiological Responses to Exercise- Oxygen Consumption
Time frame: Collected in two sessions: Session 1(day 1 for 2 hours) collected continuously during 2 exercise bouts to compare exercise bouts___ Session 2 (day 2 for 2 hours) collected continuously in four exercise bouts to compare exercise bouts
Metabolic equivalents derived from oxygen consumption which is collected continuously during four exercise bouts.
Enjoyment-Motivation
Time frame: Collected in two sessions: Session 1 collected continuously during 2 exercise bouts in a 2 hour Session 2: in four exercise bouts in a 2 hour session to compare exercise bouts
Intrinsic Motivation Inventory Enjoyment sub-scales collected at the end of each exercise bout
Heart Rate % of maximum
Time frame: Collected in two sessions: Session 1 collected continuously during 2 exercise bouts in a 2 hour Session 2: in four exercise bouts in a 2 hour session to compare exercise bouts
Collected continuously during exercise bouts and will be evaluated as a % of age adjusted maximum heart rate
4 secondary outcomes
Borg Scale for Rate of perceived exertion
Time frame: Collected in both Day 1 and 2 (each day is two hours) as follows: Day 1 (4 times in each of the two cycling bouts) Day 2 (6 times each of the four cycling bouts)
Cyber sickness Questionnaire
Time frame: Collected in Day 1 (2 hour session) twice to compare before and after scores
Perceived Effort Ranking
Time frame: Collected in once in day 1 and once in day 2
Enjoyment Ranking
Time frame: Collected in once in day 1 and once in day 2
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 13 Jul 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Yes. Immediately following completion of our proposed study we will submit a de-identified data set of our protocol and links to published papers.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
Judith E. Deutsch, PT PhD principal investigator
Rutgers
2 sites in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Bicycling with and without virtual reality in people with Parkinson Disease, run by Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey at 2 sites in United States.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 5 inclusion and 6 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 13 Jul 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 2 sites in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Judith Deutsch, PT, PhD (973-972-2373, deutsch@rutgers.edu), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Neuromuscular Intensity (time frame: Collected in two sessions: Session 1(day 1 for 2 hours) collected continuously during 2 exercise bouts to compare exercise bouts.____Session 2 (day 2 for 2 hours) collected continuously in four exercise bouts to compare exercise bouts). The study lists 4 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 13 Jul 2026.