Positive AffectVR-RTNCT05342077
Virtual Reality-Reward Training for Anhedonia
A study testing Virtual Reality-Reward Training (VR-RT) and Virtual Reality-Memory Training (VR-MT) in people with Positive Affect and Depression, run by University of California, Los Angeles at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
The purpose of this study is to compare the effects of Virtual Reality-Reward Training (VR-RT) with an active control condition, Virtual Reality-Memory Training (VR-MT), on positive affect and other clinical symptoms. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and older
- Conditions the study is for
- Positive Affect, Depression
- What is being tested?
- Virtual Reality-Reward Training (VR-RT) and Virtual Reality-Memory Training (VR-MT)
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 59 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 15 Sep 2022to 14 Mar 2025
- 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 years and older
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- At least 18 years old
- Fluent in written and spoken English
- Meet all of the following dimensional score cutoffs:
- Score on the DASS-21 depression subscale must be ≥ 11
- Score on the PANAS-P of 24 or lower
- Score on the SDS of ≥ 6
- Willingness to refrain from initiating other psychosocial treatments throughout the duration of the study
Who cannot join
- Lifetime history of bipolar disorder, psychosis, mental retardation, or organic brain damage
- Substance use disorder in the past 6 months
- Current use of psychotropic medications
- Currently pregnant or planning to become pregnant
- Self-reported frequent motion sickness
- Self-reported seizures within the last year and/or a diagnosis of epilepsy
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
United States1 site
University of California, Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California, 90095
About this study
The purpose of this study is to compare the effects of Virtual Reality-Reward Training (VR-RT) with an active control condition, Virtual Reality-Memory Training (VR-MT), on positive affect and other clinical symptoms. VR-Reward Training is a novel intervention aimed at enhancing savoring of positive experiences among individuals with depression and low positive affect through guided imaginal recounting following immersion in positive VR experiences.
Target enrollment is 80 male and female participants with low positive affect, depression, and impaired functioning, who are at least 18 years old, who will be randomly assigned to 7 weeks of either Virtual Reality-Reward Training (VR-RT) or Virtual Reality-Memory Training (VR-MT). Participants will complete in-person VR sessions, laboratory assessments, self-report questionnaires as part of the study. The total length of participation is around 3 months.
Read the detailed description
Anhedonia, or loss of interest and pleasure in usual activities, has been relatively resistant to pharmacological and psychological treatments in the context of anxiety and depression. Newer treatments that focus upon positivity or reward sensitivity have shown promising results.
The purpose of the current randomized controlled trial is to compare the effects of Virtual Reality-Reward Training (VR-RT) with an active control condition, Virtual Reality-Memory Training (VR-MT), on positive affect and other clinical symptoms. Virtual Reality-Reward Training is designed to augment reward sensitivity in individuals with depression and low positive affect. Targets include behavioral, cognitive, and self-report indices of reward anticipation and initial response to reward. Specificity of target engagement is assessed by comparison with Virtual Reality-Memory Training, designed to improve memory. Targets and clinical outcomes are assessed at baseline (Week 1) and either weekly or at mid-treatment (Week 3), post-treatment (Week 7), and followup (Week 12). Statistical models evaluate whether change in outcomes and change in target measures are greater as a result of Virtual Reality-Reward Training compared to Virtual-Reality-Memory Training and whether changes in target measures correlate with changes in outcome measures.
Target enrollment is 80 male and female participants with low positive affect, depression, and impaired functioning, who are at least 18 years old, who will be randomized to Virtual Reality-Reward Training or Virtual-Reality Memory Training, each comprising 7 individual virtual reality training sessions over the course of 7 weeks.
Participants will complete laboratory tests and self-report questionnaires as part of the study. Total length of participation is around 3 months.
- Conditions
- Positive Affect, Depression
- Being tested
- Virtual Reality-Reward Training (VR-RT), Virtual Reality-Memory Training (VR-MT)
- Medical subject headings
- Depression
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Virtual Reality-Reward Training (VR-RT)Behavioural
Participants will complete verbal recounting (presenttense, field perspective, positive details) and guided imaginal recounting of positive details for rewarding VR experiences and positive autobiographical memories.
Virtual Reality-Memory Training (VR-MT)Behavioural
Participants will complete verbal recounting (pasttense, observer perspective, objective details) and guided imaginal recounting of neutral details for neutral VR experiences and neutral autobiographical memories.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Reality-Reward Training (VR-RT) | Experimental | 7 sessions of positive VR immersion and positive memory specificity training exercises designed to savor rewarding features of immersion followed by memory specificity training exercises to savor rewarding features of autobiographical memory. Receives: Behavioral: Virtual Reality-Reward Training (VR-RT) |
| Virtual Reality-Memory Training (VR-MT) | Active comparator | 7 sessions of neutral VR immersion and neutral memory specificity training exercises, designed to train memory of objective non-emotional stimuli followed by memory exercises to neutral autobiographical memories. Receives: Behavioral: Virtual Reality-Memory Training (VR-MT) |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scales (DASS-21)
Reported symptoms of depression (score range: 0-21), anxiety (score range: 0-21), and stress (score range: 0-21), higher scores indicate higher severity and frequency.
Measured: Change from baseline to follow-up (Week 12)
The Positive Affect and Negative Affect Schedule-Expanded Form (PANAS X) (General Dimensions Scales)
Change in reported positive affect (general dimensions scale positive affect) and negative affect (general dimension scale negative affect) (score range for each scale: 10-50, higher scores represent higher levels of positive affect or negative affect).
Measured: Change from baseline to follow-up (Week 12)
MASQ-AD 14 Item
Change in reported anhedonia (score range: 14-70), with higher scores indicating greater anhedonic symptom severity
Measured: Change from baseline to follow-up (Week 12)
Secondary outcomes (6)
Behavioral Activation Scale (BAS)
Change in reported reward sensitivity (score range: 23-92), with higher scores indicating higher reward sensitivity
Measured: Change from baseline to follow-up (Week 12)
Work and Social Functioning Scale (WSAS)
Change in impairment in the following life domains: work (score range: 0-8), home management (score range: 0-8), social leisure (score range: 0-8), private leisure (score range: 0-8) and personal or family relationships (score range: 0-8)
Measured: Change from baseline to follow-up (Week 12)
Positive and Negative Affective Schedule (PANAS)
Change in reported positive affect and negative affect (score range for each scale: 10-50, higher scores indicate higher levels of positive affect or negative affect)
Measured: Change from baseline to follow-up (Week 12)
Temporal Experience of Pleasure Scale (TEPS)
Change in reported anticipatory pleasure (score range: 10-60) and consummatory pleasure (score range: 8-48). Higher scores indicate higher reward responsiveness.
Measured: Change from baseline to follow-up (Week 12)
Effort Reward Trade-off Task
Change in behavioral effort for reward (button presses for points) and experience of reward (happiness ratings). The Effort Reward Trade-off Task is a novel online behavioral task.
Measured: Change from baseline to follow-up (Week 12)
Positive Valence Systems Scale (PVSS-21)
Change in reward anticipation, motivation, and consumption for rewards such as rewards such as food, physical touch, positive feedback, social interactions, hobbies and goals (score range: 21-105). Higher scores (e.g. 105) indicate higher reward responsiveness.
Measured: Change from baseline to follow-up (Week 12)
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted22 Apr 2022
- Study start15 Sep 2022
- Primary completion14 Mar 2025
- Study completion14 Mar 2025
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Positive AffectStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by University of California, Los AngelesThe 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
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Double blind
- Who is masked
- Investigator, Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 59 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University of California, Los Angeles
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Michelle Craske, University of California, Los Angeles
- Investigators
- Michelle G Craske, Ph.D, Principal investigator, University of California, Los Angeles
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05342077
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- Virtual Reality Training Study
- Acronym
- VR-RT
- Status last verified
- Oct 2026
- First submitted
- 16 Mar 2022
- Last updated
- 26 Oct 2026
- Results posted
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 26 Oct 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Virtual Reality-Reward Training for Anhedonia
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05342077
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- VR-RT / Virtual Reality Training Study
- Conditions
- Positive Affect, Depression
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 59 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- University of California, Los AngelesUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 15 Sep 2022 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 14 Mar 2025 (actual)
- Study completion
- 14 Mar 2025 (actual)
- First posted
- 22 Apr 2022 (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.
The purpose of this study is to compare the effects of Virtual Reality-Reward Training (VR-RT) with an active control condition, Virtual Reality-Memory Training (VR-MT), on positive affect and other clinical symptoms. VR-Reward Training is a novel intervention aimed at enhancing savoring of positive experiences among individuals with depression and low positive affect through guided imaginal recounting following immersion in positive VR experiences.
Target enrollment is 80 male and female participants with low positive affect, depression, and impaired functioning, who are at least 18 years old, who will be randomly assigned to 7 weeks of either Virtual Reality-Reward Training (VR-RT) or Virtual Reality-Memory Training (VR-MT). Participants will complete in-person VR sessions, laboratory assessments, self-report questionnaires as part of the study. The total length of participation is around 3 months.
Detailed description
Anhedonia, or loss of interest and pleasure in usual activities, has been relatively resistant to pharmacological and psychological treatments in the context of anxiety and depression. Newer treatments that focus upon positivity or reward sensitivity have shown promising results.
The purpose of the current randomized controlled trial is to compare the effects of Virtual Reality-Reward Training (VR-RT) with an active control condition, Virtual Reality-Memory Training (VR-MT), on positive affect and other clinical symptoms. Virtual Reality-Reward Training is designed to augment reward sensitivity in individuals with depression and low positive affect. Targets include behavioral, cognitive, and self-report indices of reward anticipation and initial response to reward. Specificity of target engagement is assessed by comparison with Virtual Reality-Memory Training, designed to improve memory. Targets and clinical outcomes are assessed at baseline (Week 1) and either weekly or at mid-treatment (Week 3), post-treatment (Week 7), and followup (Week 12). Statistical models evaluate whether change in outcomes and change in target measures are greater as a result of Virtual Reality-Reward Training compared to Virtual-Reality-Memory Training and whether changes in target measures correlate with changes in outcome measures.
Target enrollment is 80 male and female participants with low positive affect, depression, and impaired functioning, who are at least 18 years old, who will be randomized to Virtual Reality-Reward Training or Virtual-Reality Memory Training, each comprising 7 individual virtual reality training sessions over the course of 7 weeks.
Participants will complete laboratory tests and self-report questionnaires as part of the study. Total length of participation is around 3 months.
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 Reality-Reward Training (VR-RT) | Experimental | Behavioral: Virtual Reality-Reward Training (VR-RT)7 sessions of positive VR immersion and positive memory specificity training exercises designed to savor rewarding features of immersion followed by memory specificity training exercises to savor rewarding features of autobiographical memory. |
| Virtual Reality-Memory Training (VR-MT) | Active comparator | Behavioral: Virtual Reality-Memory Training (VR-MT)7 sessions of neutral VR immersion and neutral memory specificity training exercises, designed to train memory of objective non-emotional stimuli followed by memory exercises to neutral autobiographical memories. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (7 listed)
- At least 18 years old
- Fluent in written and spoken English
- Meet all of the following dimensional score cutoffs:
- Willingness to refrain from initiating other psychosocial treatments throughout the duration of the study
Key exclusion criteria (6 listed)
- Lifetime history of bipolar disorder, psychosis, mental retardation, or organic brain damage
- Substance use disorder in the past 6 months
- Current use of psychotropic medications
- Currently pregnant or planning to become pregnant
- Self-reported frequent motion sickness
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 Reality-Reward Training (VR-RT)Participants will complete verbal recounting (presenttense, field perspective, positive details) and guided imaginal recounting of positive details for rewarding VR experiences and positive autobiographical memories. | Behavioural | Virtual Reality-Reward Training (VR-RT) |
| Virtual Reality-Memory Training (VR-MT)Participants will complete verbal recounting (pasttense, observer perspective, objective details) and guided imaginal recounting of neutral details for neutral VR experiences and neutral autobiographical memories. | Behavioural | Virtual Reality-Memory Training (VR-MT) |
Primary outcome
Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scales (DASS-21)
Time frame: Change from baseline to follow-up (Week 12)
Reported symptoms of depression (score range: 0-21), anxiety (score range: 0-21), and stress (score range: 0-21), higher scores indicate higher severity and frequency.
The Positive Affect and Negative Affect Schedule-Expanded Form (PANAS X) (General Dimensions Scales)
Time frame: Change from baseline to follow-up (Week 12)
Change in reported positive affect (general dimensions scale positive affect) and negative affect (general dimension scale negative affect) (score range for each scale: 10-50, higher scores represent higher levels of positive affect or negative affect).
MASQ-AD 14 Item
Time frame: Change from baseline to follow-up (Week 12)
Change in reported anhedonia (score range: 14-70), with higher scores indicating greater anhedonic symptom severity
6 secondary outcomes
Behavioral Activation Scale (BAS)
Time frame: Change from baseline to follow-up (Week 12)
Work and Social Functioning Scale (WSAS)
Time frame: Change from baseline to follow-up (Week 12)
Positive and Negative Affective Schedule (PANAS)
Time frame: Change from baseline to follow-up (Week 12)
Temporal Experience of Pleasure Scale (TEPS)
Time frame: Change from baseline to follow-up (Week 12)
Effort Reward Trade-off Task
Time frame: Change from baseline to follow-up (Week 12)
Positive Valence Systems Scale (PVSS-21)
Time frame: Change from baseline to follow-up (Week 12)
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 26 Oct 2026.
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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.
Michelle G Craske, Ph.D principal investigator
University of California, Los Angeles
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 Reality-Reward Training (VR-RT) and Virtual Reality-Memory Training (VR-MT) in people with Positive Affect and Depression, run by University of California, Los Angeles at 1 site 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 7 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: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 26 Oct 2026. 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 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?
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?
Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scales (DASS-21) (time frame: Change from baseline to follow-up (Week 12)). The study lists 3 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 26 Oct 2026.