BrainNCT06897332
Comparing Brain Cortical Activity in Real and Immersive Virtual Reality Manual Dexterity Tasks
An observational study of Brain and Virtual Reality, run by Cliniques universitaires Saint-Luc- Université Catholique de Louvain at 1 site in Belgium.
Trial summary
With advances in technology, virtual reality (VR) is increasingly used in various fields, including rehabilitation, motor learning, and neuroscience. Its ability to provide controlled, immersive, and interactive environments makes it a valuable tool for training and assessment. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and olderHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Brain, Virtual Reality, EEG
- What is being tested?
- Real-world manual dexterity task and Immersive virtual reality with hand-tracking
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- How many people
- 12 participants
- Where
- 1 siteBelgium
- Study dates
- 20 Mar 2025to 30 Jun 2025
- Phase
- Observational
- 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 18 years and older
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult, Older adult
Study population: Participants will be recruited through word-of-mouth within the Belgian population
Who may be able to join
- Age over 18 years old
- Normal-to-corrected vision
- Ability to understand simple instructions
Who cannot join
- History of seizure
- Recent participation (within the last three months) in a study involving a manual dexterity task in immersive virtual reality
- Neurologic or orthopaedic pathology potentially affecting upper extremity movement
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
Thérèse Ntabuhashe Bibentyo, Er, PhD student contact
Belgium1 site
Neuro Musculo Skeletal Lab
Brussels, Brussels Capital, 1200
Gauthier Everard, PT, PhD, +32 472 500 158, gauthier.everard@uclouvain.be
Thierry Lejeune, MD, PhD
About this study
With advances in technology, virtual reality (VR) is increasingly used in various fields, including rehabilitation, motor learning, and neuroscience. Its ability to provide controlled, immersive, and interactive environments makes it a valuable tool for training and assessment. However, despite its growing adoption, limited evidence exists on how cortical activation in VR compares to real-world conditions. Moreover, brain cortical activity during motor tasks, such as manual dexterity tasks, remains underexplored.
This study aims to compare brain cortical activity in real and immersive virtual reality settings during a manual dexterity task. Secondary objectives include:
- Examining the relationship between brain cortical activity and kinematics in both conditions.
- Comparing brain cortical activity between hand-tracking and controller-based interactions.
- Conditions
- Brain, Virtual Reality, EEG, fNIRS, Manual Dexterity
- Being tested
- Real-world manual dexterity task, Immersive virtual reality with controllers, Immersive virtual reality with hand-tracking
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Real-world manual dexterity taskBehavioural
Participants will perform a manual dexterity task involving the displacement of physical cubes
Immersive virtual reality with controllersBehavioural
Participants will perform a manual dexterity task in an immersive virtual reality environment, requiring them to move virtual cubes using controllers
Immersive virtual reality with hand-trackingBehavioural
Participants will perform a manual dexterity task in an immersive virtual reality environment, requiring them to move virtual cubes using the hand-tracking technology
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Healthy individuals | Not described Receives: Behavioral: Real-world manual dexterity task; Behavioral: Immersive virtual reality with controllers; Behavioral: Immersive virtual reality with hand-tracking |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Brain cortical activity
Measures of brain cortical activity using EEG/fNIRS
Measured: Baseline (at rest: before task performance) and Day 1 (during each of the three task performances within the single study session)
Secondary outcomes (6)
Average speed
Mean instant velocity of the upper extremity during task performance
Measured: Day 1 (during each of the three task performances within the single study session)
Maximal movement speed
Peak instant velocity of the upper extremity during task performance
Measured: Day 1 (during each of the three task performances within the single study session)
Movement smoothness
Spectral arc length of the normalised instant velocity (SPARC) of the upper extremity during task performance
Measured: Day 1 (during each of the three task performances within the single study session)
Variation of velocity
Coefficient of variation of the instant velocity of the upper extremity during task performance
Measured: Day 1 (during each of the three task performances within the single study session)
Average distance between thumb and other fingers
Mean distance between thumb and other fingers during task performance
Measured: Day 1 (during each of the three task performances within the single study session)
Variation of distance between thumb and other fingers
Coefficient of variation of the distance between thumb and other fingers during task performance
Measured: Day 1 (during each of the three task performances within the single study session)
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted26 Mar 2025
- Study start20 Mar 2025 (estimated)
- Primary completion30 Jun 2025 (estimated)
- Study completion30 Jun 2025 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for BrainStudies 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
- Observational
- Observational model
- Other
- Time perspective
- Prospective
- Enrolment
- 12 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Cliniques universitaires Saint-Luc- Université Catholique de Louvain
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Université Catholique de Louvain
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Thierry Lejeune, MD, PhD, Principal investigator, Cliniques universitaires Saint-Luc UCL
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06897332
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- Real vs iVR Manual Dexterity
- Status last verified
- Mar 2025
- First submitted
- 13 Mar 2025
- Last updated
- 26 Mar 2025
- Results posted
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 26 Mar 2025. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Comparing Brain Cortical Activity in Real and Immersive Virtual Reality Manual Dexterity Tasks
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06897332
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- Real vs iVR Manual Dexterity
- Conditions
- Brain, Virtual Reality, EEG, fNIRS, Manual Dexterity
- Study type
- Observational
- Recruitment status
- Not yet recruiting
- Enrolment
- 12 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Cliniques universitaires Saint-Luc- Université Catholique de LouvainUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Université Catholique de Louvain
- Study start
- 20 Mar 2025 (estimated)
- Primary completion
- 30 Jun 2025 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 30 Jun 2025 (estimated)
- First posted
- 26 Mar 2025 (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.
With advances in technology, virtual reality (VR) is increasingly used in various fields, including rehabilitation, motor learning, and neuroscience. Its ability to provide controlled, immersive, and interactive environments makes it a valuable tool for training and assessment. However, despite its growing adoption, limited evidence exists on how cortical activation in VR compares to real-world conditions. Moreover, brain cortical activity during motor tasks, such as manual dexterity tasks, remains underexplored.
This study aims to compare brain cortical activity in real and immersive virtual reality settings during a manual dexterity task. Secondary objectives include:
- Examining the relationship between brain cortical activity and kinematics in both conditions.
- Comparing brain cortical activity between hand-tracking and controller-based interactions.
Study design
- Observational model
- Other
- Time perspective
- Prospective
- Number of arms
- 1
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Healthy individuals | – | Behavioral: Real-world manual dexterity task, Behavioral: Immersive virtual reality with controllers, Behavioral: Immersive virtual reality with hand-tracking |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
- Study population
- Participants will be recruited through word-of-mouth within the Belgian population
Key inclusion criteria (3 listed)
- Age over 18 years old
- Normal-to-corrected vision
- Ability to understand simple instructions
Key exclusion criteria (3 listed)
- History of seizure
- Recent participation (within the last three months) in a study involving a manual dexterity task in immersive virtual reality
- Neurologic or orthopaedic pathology potentially affecting upper extremity movement
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Real-world manual dexterity taskParticipants will perform a manual dexterity task involving the displacement of physical cubes | Behavioural | Healthy individuals |
| Immersive virtual reality with controllersParticipants will perform a manual dexterity task in an immersive virtual reality environment, requiring them to move virtual cubes using controllers | Behavioural | Healthy individuals |
| Immersive virtual reality with hand-trackingParticipants will perform a manual dexterity task in an immersive virtual reality environment, requiring them to move virtual cubes using the hand-tracking technology | Behavioural | Healthy individuals |
Primary outcome
Brain cortical activity
Time frame: Baseline (at rest: before task performance) and Day 1 (during each of the three task performances within the single study session)
Measures of brain cortical activity using EEG/fNIRS
6 secondary outcomes
Average speed
Time frame: Day 1 (during each of the three task performances within the single study session)
Maximal movement speed
Time frame: Day 1 (during each of the three task performances within the single study session)
Movement smoothness
Time frame: Day 1 (during each of the three task performances within the single study session)
Variation of velocity
Time frame: Day 1 (during each of the three task performances within the single study session)
Average distance between thumb and other fingers
Time frame: Day 1 (during each of the three task performances within the single study session)
Variation of distance between thumb and other fingers
Time frame: Day 1 (during each of the three task performances within the single study session)
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 26 Mar 2025.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
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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.
Thérèse Ntabuhashe Bibentyo, Er, PhD student contact
Thierry Lejeune, MD, PhD principal investigator
Cliniques universitaires Saint-Luc UCL
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
An observational study of Brain and Virtual Reality, run by Cliniques universitaires Saint-Luc- Université Catholique de Louvain at 1 site in Belgium.
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 3 inclusion and 3 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: opening soon, as of the sponsor's last update on 26 Mar 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 Belgium. 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 Gauthier Everard, PT, PhD (+32 472 500 158, gauthier.everard@uclouvain.be), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Brain cortical activity (time frame: Baseline (at rest: before task performance) and Day 1 (during each of the three task performances within the single study session)). 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 Mar 2025.