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Postoperative Delirium (POD)NCT06999668

Prospective Randomized Controlled Trial of VR Cognitive Training in Reducing Postoperative Delirium in Elderly Patients With Cerebral Small Vessel Disease Undergoing Non-Cardiac Surgery

A study testing Virtual reality cognitive function training and Virtual scene intervention in people with Postoperative Delirium (POD) and Cerebral Small Vessel Diseases, run by Peking University Third Hospital at 2 sites in China.

Not yet recruiting

Opening soon. The study is approved but enrolment has not started yet. Sites may already take enquiries.

Sites and contacts
Official record
Search all trials

Trial summary

This clinical study investigates whether virtual reality (VR)-based cognitive training can help prevent postoperative delirium (POD) in elderly non-cardiac patients with pre-existing cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD). Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 65 years and older
What is being tested?
Virtual reality cognitive function training and Virtual scene intervention
Could I receive a placebo?
Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
How many people
416 participants
Where
2 sitesChina
Study dates
31 May 2025to 31 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 65 years and older
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • Age ≥ 65 years; Preoperative MRI diagnosis of cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD); Scheduled to undergo non-cardiac, non-intracranial procedures under general anesthesia; Expected surgery duration > 2 hours; ASA physical status classification: I-III; No use of cognitive-enhancing medications within 3 months prior to surgery; Willing to participate and provide written informed consent.

Who cannot join

  • Contraindications to cranial MRI (e.g., cardiac pacemaker, metallic implants, etc.); Patients experiencing subjective discomfort (dizziness, nausea, vomiting) during VR device adaptation; Severe visual or auditory impairment; Severe hepatic or renal dysfunction; Pre-existing neuropsychiatric disorders (schizophrenia, epilepsy, Parkinson's disease, delirium, etc.); Inability to complete preoperative neuropsychological assessments (dementia, deaf-mutism, communication disorders); History of cerebrovascular events (stroke, transient ischemic attack, etc.) within 3 months prior to surgery; Current use of sedatives/antidepressants or history of psychoactive substance abuse/alcoholism.

Trial locations and contacts

2 sites in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.

Zhengqian Li, Associate Chief Physician contact

+86 156 1190 8458

zhengqianli@hsc.pku.edu.cn

China2 sites
  • Peking university first hospital

    Beijing, Beijing Municipality

  • Peking university third hospital

    Beijing, Beijing Municipality

Other trials in China

About this study

This clinical study investigates whether virtual reality (VR)-based cognitive training can help prevent postoperative delirium (POD) in elderly non-cardiac patients with pre-existing cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD). With the global aging population undergoing more surgical procedures, POD has emerged as a serious complication in surgical patients that can prolong hospital stays and increase the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. The study utilizes an innovative VR system that combines eye-tracking cognitive assessment with interactive rehabilitation games to evaluate and train patients' cognitive function before non-cardiac and non-intracranial operations. Conducted at Peking University Third Hospital and First Hospital, this research specifically targets patients undergoing general surgery, orthopedic surgery and other non-intracranial/non-cardiac procedures to determine if this technology-based intervention can effectively reduce POD incidence in this population while exploring its underlying mechanisms. The findings could lead to a practical solution for protecting cognitive health in elderly patients undergoing routine surgical procedures during recovery

Being tested
Virtual reality cognitive function training, Virtual scene intervention
Keywords
postoperative delirium, cerebral small vascular disease, virtual reality, cognitive function
Medical subject headings
Emergence Delirium, Cerebral Small Vessel Diseases

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • Virtual reality cognitive function trainingDevice

    Participants will receive VR-based cognitive training over 4-5 days prior to surgery, with three daily 30-minute sessions (8:00-10:00 AM, 12:00-2:00 PM, and 5:00-7:00 PM), ensuring a total preoperative training duration ≥6 hours.

    The intervention utilizes an immersive VR environment that simulates real-world scenarios and tasks. Training modules target multiple cognitive domains, including memory, executive function, calculation, and abstract reasoning, designed as engaging, game-like activities with a gradual learning curve.

    Each participant's regimen is personalized based on baseline cognitive assessments or physician prescriptions, adhering to the "6-hour rule" for standardized efficacy evaluation. The system incorporates adaptive difficulty adjustment, dynamically modifying task complexity in response to real-time performance.

  • Virtual scene interventionDevice

    The control group will receive non-interactive VR exposure using identical equipment and session duration as the training group (3×30-minute daily sessions for 4-5 days, totaling ≥6 hours), with all interactive functions disabled to eliminate potential media-related biases (e.g., 2D/3D cognitive load differences from tablet-based interventions) and ensure between-group differences stem solely from interactive training while maintaining blinding integrity through equivalent hardware deployment.

Study groups in NCT06999668
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Preoperative Training GroupExperimentalNot described
Receives: Device: Virtual reality cognitive function training
Preoperative Control GroupSham comparatorNot described
Receives: Device: Virtual scene intervention

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Occurrence of postoperative delirium

    Follow up personnel use the Confusion Assessment Method(CAM) scale to evaluate the occurrence of postoperative delirium after anesthesia surgery

    Measured: From the first day to the fifth day after surgery or from the first day after surgery to before discharge

Secondary outcomes (4)
  1. Changes in postoperative cognitive function

    Trained research personnel (certified by neurologists) administer the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) to evaluate eight cognitive domains (visuospatial ability, executive function, memory, attention, calculation, language, abstract thinking, and orientation), with total scores ranging 0-30 (normal cognition defined as ≥26).

    Measured: At enrollment (baseline) and on postoperative day 5 or prior to discharge (whichever occurs first).

  2. Amplitude of Low-Frequency Fluctuation(ALFF) of brain regions

    Blood Oxygen Level Dependent Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (BOLD-fMRI) was used to measure changes in brain regions activation

    Measured: At enrollment and immediately after completion of the preoperative intervention

  3. Fractional Amplitude of Low-Frequency Fluctuation(fALFF) of brain regions

    Blood Oxygen Level Dependent Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (BOLD-fMRI) was used to measure changes in brain regions activation

    Measured: At enrollment and immediately after completion of the preoperative intervention

  4. Regional Homogeneity(ReHo) of brain regions

    Blood Oxygen Level Dependent Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (BOLD-fMRI) was used to assess the synchronization of neuronal activity within brain regions

    Measured: At enrollment and immediately after completion of the preoperative intervention

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted31 May 2025
  2. Study start31 May 2025 (estimated)
  3. Primary completion30 Nov 2027 (estimated)
  4. Study completion31 Dec 2027 (estimated)

Resources

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
Prevention
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Model description
A third-party statistician generated the allocation sequence using R 4.3.3 with a dynamic block design (mixed block sizes of 4 and 6), stratified by study site; the randomization scheme was uploaded to the REDCap system, where patient eligibility was verified before enrollment, and upon entering patient data into REDCap, the system automatically executed the stratified randomization.
Masking
Double blind
Who is masked
Participant, Outcomes assessor
Enrolment
416 participants (estimated)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT06999668
Sponsor's protocol ID
IRB00006761-M20250258
Other IDs
TY2025014
Status last verified
Apr 2025
First submitted
22 May 2025
Last updated
31 May 2025
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
Yes
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
Yes

Publications

  • Chen CC, Li HC, Liang JT, Lai IR, Purnomo JDT, Yang YT, Lin BR, Huang J, Yang CY, Tien YW, Chen CN, Lin MT, Huang GH, Inouye SK. Effect of a Modified Hospital Elder Life Program on Delirium and Length of Hospital Stay in Patients Undergoing Abdominal Surgery: A Cluster Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Surg. 2017 Sep 1;152(9):827-834. doi: 10.1001/jamasurg.2017.1083.

    PubMed 28538964
  • de Vries NM, Staal JB, van der Wees PJ, Adang EM, Akkermans R, Olde Rikkert MG, Nijhuis-van der Sanden MW. Patient-centred physical therapy is (cost-) effective in increasing physical activity and reducing frailty in older adults with mobility problems: a randomized controlled trial with 6 months follow-up. J Cachexia Sarcopenia Muscle. 2016 Sep;7(4):422-35. doi: 10.1002/jcsm.12091. Epub 2015 Dec 4.

    PubMed 27239405
  • Kho W, von Haefen C, Paeschke N, Nasser F, Endesfelder S, Sifringer M, Gonzalez-Lopez A, Lanzke N, Spies CD. Dexmedetomidine Restores Autophagic Flux, Modulates Associated microRNAs and the Cholinergic Anti-inflammatory Pathway upon LPS-Treatment in Rats. J Neuroimmune Pharmacol. 2022 Jun;17(1-2):261-276. doi: 10.1007/s11481-021-10003-w. Epub 2021 Aug 6.

    PubMed 34357471
  • Aranake-Chrisinger A, Avidan MS. Postoperative delirium portends descent to dementia. Br J Anaesth. 2017 Aug 1;119(2):285-288. doi: 10.1093/bja/aex126. No abstract available.

    PubMed 28854545
  • Peden CJ, Miller TR, Deiner SG, Eckenhoff RG, Fleisher LA; Members of the Perioperative Brain Health Expert Panel. Improving perioperative brain health: an expert consensus review of key actions for the perioperative care team. Br J Anaesth. 2021 Feb;126(2):423-432. doi: 10.1016/j.bja.2020.10.037. Epub 2021 Jan 4.

    PubMed 33413977
  • Jin Z, Hu J, Ma D. Postoperative delirium: perioperative assessment, risk reduction, and management. Br J Anaesth. 2020 Oct;125(4):492-504. doi: 10.1016/j.bja.2020.06.063. Epub 2020 Aug 11.

    PubMed 32798069
  • Meara JG, Leather AJ, Hagander L, Alkire BC, Alonso N, Ameh EA, Bickler SW, Conteh L, Dare AJ, Davies J, Merisier ED, El-Halabi S, Farmer PE, Gawande A, Gillies R, Greenberg SL, Grimes CE, Gruen RL, Ismail EA, Kamara TB, Lavy C, Lundeg G, Mkandawire NC, Raykar NP, Riesel JN, Rodas E, Rose J, Roy N, Shrime MG, Sullivan R, Verguet S, Watters D, Weiser TG, Wilson IH, Yamey G, Yip W. Global Surgery 2030: evidence and solutions for achieving health, welfare, and economic development. Lancet. 2015 Aug 8;386(9993):569-624. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(15)60160-X. Epub 2015 Apr 26. No abstract available.

    PubMed 25924834

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Virtual reality cognitive function training and Virtual scene intervention in people with Postoperative Delirium (POD) and Cerebral Small Vessel Diseases, run by Peking University Third Hospital at 2 sites in China.

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 1 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 31 May 2025. 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 China. 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. Some participants in this study may receive a placebo. 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 Zhengqian Li, Associate Chief Physician (+86 156 1190 8458, zhengqianli@hsc.pku.edu.cn), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Occurrence of postoperative delirium (time frame: From the first day to the fifth day after surgery or from the first day after surgery to before discharge). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT06999668, which also lists 7 linked publications.

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 31 May 2025.

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