Covid19NCT04983394
The Effect of Virtual Reality Exercises on Patients With Post-COVID-19 Condition
A study testing Virtual Realty Exercises and conventional exercises in people with Covid19, run by Cumhuriyet University at 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye).
Trial summary
This study aims to investigate (I) the effectiveness of motion-controlled video game-based VR exercises on pain, fatigue, functional capacity, mood, and quality of life in patients with PCC, and (II) to determine whether they are superior to conventional exercise. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 65 years
- Conditions the study is for
- Covid19
- What is being tested?
- Virtual Realty Exercises and conventional exercises
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 79 participants
- Where
- 1 siteTurkey (Türkiye)
- Study dates
- 30 Jul 2021to 27 Feb 2022
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
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 18 to 65 years
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- diagnosed with COVID-19 by polymerase chain reaction from an oropharyngeal or nasopharyngeal swab sample more than 90 days ago, and who had PCC symptoms for at least eight weeks
Who cannot join
- have been hospitalized due to COVID-19,
- have developed pneumonia or organ failure findings.
- have had an acute myocardial infarction in the last 2 years,
- have cardiovascular system disease such as uncontrolled hypertension, arrhythmia, aneurysm, cardiac failure,
- have undergone fracture or orthopedic surgery in the last 2 years,
- have a known chronic respiratory system disease,
- have widespread pain such as fibromyalgia syndrome
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
About this study
Official title: Effect of Motion-Controlled Video Games-Based Virtual Reality Exercise On Pain, Fatigue, Mood, Functional Capacity, And Quality of Life in Patients With Post-Covid-19 Condition: A Randomized Controlled Trial
This study aims to investigate (I) the effectiveness of motion-controlled video game-based VR exercises on pain, fatigue, functional capacity, mood, and quality of life in patients with PCC, and (II) to determine whether they are superior to conventional exercise.
Read the detailed description
79 individuals aged 18-65 years who were diagnosed with COVID-19 with a PCR test result in an oropharyngeal or nasopharyngeal swab sample taken more than 90 days ago and who had PCC symptoms for at least eight weeks were included. Patients with PCC who had been hospitalized, had signs of pneumonia or organ failure, had suffered an acute myocardial infarction or orthopedic surgery within the last 2 years, had cardiovascular system diseases such as uncontrolled hypertension, arrhythmia, or cardiac insufficiency, had known chronic respiratory system diseases, those with conditions causing widespread pain such as fibromyalgia syndrome, those with primary any neurological system diseases, or those unable to mobilize for any reason were excluded from the study.
The same physiatrist systematically evaluated the sociodemographic data, medical history including the time elapsed since the diagnosis of COVID-19, the duration of PCC symptoms, and outcome measures (fatigue level, pain intensity, general health status, emotional state, functional capacity) through face-to-face interviews at the hospital, and recorded in a standardized form.
- Conditions
- Covid19
- Being tested
- Virtual Realty Exercises, conventional exercises
- Medical subject headings
- COVID-19
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Virtual Realty ExercisesOther
motion-controlled video game
conventional exercisesOther
aerobic, strength, stretching, and neuromuscular exercises
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Realty | Experimental | Virtual reality exercises were implemented semi-immersively in the Kinect Sports Rivals program via the Microsoft Xbox One Kinect game console and Kinect V2 infrared camera. Participants were positioned 2 meters away from a 55-inch LCD screen in a well-lit room. Motion-controlled video games, including tennis, bowling, soccer, target shooting, climbing, and jet ski racing, were played against a virtual opponent, starting at a basic difficulty level and increasing in difficulty based on the participant's ability to defeat their opponent. Game transitions and difficulty adjustments were provided by the physical therapist. Participants performed plyometric movements such as jumping and shooting, as well as limb and spine movements, to direct the avatar and ensured the coordination of their movements. Receives: Other: Virtual Realty Exercises |
| Conventional | Active comparator | Flexibility exercises were performed during the warm-up and cool-down periods of aerobic exercise for 3-5 minutes, consisting of static and dynamic upper and lower extremity stretching exercises in standing and sitting positions. Neuromuscular exercises were performed on the Bosu ball and balance board with eyes open and closed, using one or both feet.
Aerobic exercise using a bicycle ergometer was performed for 20-30 minutes, depending on patient tolerance, starting at 60% of the age-determined maximum heart rate and increasing by 5% every 2 weeks (75% in the last 2 weeks).
Strengthening exercises were performed for 10-15 minutes using dumbbells or sandbags targeting the large muscles of the upper and lower extremities. Initially, one set of strengthening exercises was performed with 8 repetitions targeting 6 different muscles at 50% of 1 RM intensity. Depending on patient tolerance, the exercise intensity was increased weekly to 70%, the number of muscles worked to 10, the number o Receives: Other: conventional exercises |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
visual Analogue Scale
Measured: 8th week
Secondary outcomes (5)
hospital anxiety and depression scale-Depression
Measured: 0th and 8th week
hospital anxiety and depression scale-Anxiety
Measured: 0th and 8th week
Fatigue severity scale
Measured: 0th and 8th week
Short Form-12
Measured: 0th and 8th week
6 minutes walking test
Measured: 0th and 8th week
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted30 Jul 2021
- Study start30 Jul 2021
- Primary completion27 Feb 2022
- Study completion27 Feb 2022
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Covid19Studies of the same condition, open and under way.
- 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
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Double blind
- Who is masked
- Investigator, Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 79 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Cumhuriyet University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, MUSA POLAT, Cumhuriyet University
- Investigators
- Musa Polat, Principal investigator, Cumhuriyet University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT04983394
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- SivasCumhuriyetUniversity
- Status last verified
- Sep 2025
- First submitted
- 28 Jul 2021
- Last updated
- 8 Sep 2025
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No: The plan will be shared by the corresponding author at the submission stage if requested.
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 8 Sep 2025. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Effect of Motion-Controlled Video Games-Based Virtual Reality Exercise On Pain, Fatigue, Mood, Functional Capacity, And Quality of Life in Patients With Post-Covid-19 Condition: A Randomized Controlled Trial
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT04983394
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- SivasCumhuriyetUniversity
- Conditions
- Covid19
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 79 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Cumhuriyet UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 30 Jul 2021 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 27 Feb 2022 (actual)
- Study completion
- 27 Feb 2022 (actual)
- First posted
- 30 Jul 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 aims to investigate (I) the effectiveness of motion-controlled video game-based VR exercises on pain, fatigue, functional capacity, mood, and quality of life in patients with PCC, and (II) to determine whether they are superior to conventional exercise.
Detailed description
79 individuals aged 18-65 years who were diagnosed with COVID-19 with a PCR test result in an oropharyngeal or nasopharyngeal swab sample taken more than 90 days ago and who had PCC symptoms for at least eight weeks were included. Patients with PCC who had been hospitalized, had signs of pneumonia or organ failure, had suffered an acute myocardial infarction or orthopedic surgery within the last 2 years, had cardiovascular system diseases such as uncontrolled hypertension, arrhythmia, or cardiac insufficiency, had known chronic respiratory system diseases, those with conditions causing widespread pain such as fibromyalgia syndrome, those with primary any neurological system diseases, or those unable to mobilize for any reason were excluded from the study.
The same physiatrist systematically evaluated the sociodemographic data, medical history including the time elapsed since the diagnosis of COVID-19, the duration of PCC symptoms, and outcome measures (fatigue level, pain intensity, general health status, emotional state, functional capacity) through face-to-face interviews at the hospital, and recorded in a standardized form.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Double blind (investigator, outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Realty | Experimental | Other: Virtual Realty ExercisesVirtual reality exercises were implemented semi-immersively in the Kinect Sports Rivals program via the Microsoft Xbox One Kinect game console and Kinect V2 infrared camera. Participants were positioned 2 meters away from a 55-inch LCD screen in a well-lit room. Motion-controlled video games, including tennis, bowling, soccer, target shooting, climbing, and jet ski racing, were played against a virtual opponent, starting at a basic difficulty level and increasing in difficulty based on the participant's ability to defeat their opponent. Game transitions and difficulty adjustments were provided by the physical therapist. Participants performed plyometric movements such as jumping and shooting, as well as limb and spine movements, to direct the avatar and ensured the coordination of their movements. |
| Conventional | Active comparator | Other: conventional exercisesFlexibility exercises were performed during the warm-up and cool-down periods of aerobic exercise for 3-5 minutes, consisting of static and dynamic upper and lower extremity stretching exercises in standing and sitting positions. Neuromuscular exercises were performed on the Bosu ball and balance board with eyes open and closed, using one or both feet. Aerobic exercise using a bicycle ergometer was performed for 20-30 minutes, depending on patient tolerance, starting at 60% of the age-determined maximum heart rate and increasing by 5% every 2 weeks (75% in the last 2 weeks). Strengthening exercises were performed for 10-15 minutes using dumbbells or sandbags targeting the large muscles of the upper and lower extremities. Initially, one set of strengthening exercises was performed with 8 repetitions targeting 6 different muscles at 50% of 1 RM intensity. Depending on patient tolerance, the exercise intensity was increased weekly to 70%, the number of muscles worked to 10, the number o |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 65 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (1 listed)
- diagnosed with COVID-19 by polymerase chain reaction from an oropharyngeal or nasopharyngeal swab sample more than 90 days ago, and who had PCC symptoms for at least eight weeks
Key exclusion criteria (7 listed)
- have been hospitalized due to COVID-19,
- have developed pneumonia or organ failure findings.
- have had an acute myocardial infarction in the last 2 years,
- have cardiovascular system disease such as uncontrolled hypertension, arrhythmia, aneurysm, cardiac failure,
- have undergone fracture or orthopedic surgery in the last 2 years,
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Realty Exercisesmotion-controlled video game | Other | Virtual Realty |
| conventional exercisesaerobic, strength, stretching, and neuromuscular exercises | Other | Conventional |
Primary outcome
visual Analogue Scale
Time frame: 8th week
5 secondary outcomes
hospital anxiety and depression scale-Depression
Time frame: 0th and 8th week
hospital anxiety and depression scale-Anxiety
Time frame: 0th and 8th week
Fatigue severity scale
Time frame: 0th and 8th week
Short Form-12
Time frame: 0th and 8th week
6 minutes walking test
Time frame: 0th and 8th week
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 8 Sep 2025.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No. The plan will be shared by the corresponding author at the submission stage if requested.
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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. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Musa Polat principal investigator
Cumhuriyet University
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Virtual Realty Exercises and conventional exercises in people with Covid19, run by Cumhuriyet University at 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye).
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 1 inclusion and 7 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: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 8 Sep 2025. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye). 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?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
visual Analogue Scale (time frame: 8th week). 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 8 Sep 2025.