Healthy Older AdultsNCT07435506
Effects of Feedback and Aging on Aiming Movements in Virtual Reality
A study testing VR-augmented specific feedback, VR-augmented global feedback and R-intrinsic feedback in people with Healthy Older Adults and Healthy Young Adults, run by Aix Marseille Université at 1 site in France.
Trial summary
This study has two main objectives: First, to better understand how a motor task commonly used by researchers, known as the Fitts' task, is performed in virtual reality. It consists of reaching a target, which may be large or small, by extending the right arm. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 75 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Healthy Older Adults, Healthy Young Adults
- What is being tested?
- VR-augmented specific feedback, VR-augmented global feedback and R-intrinsic feedback
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 30 participants
- Where
- 1 siteFrance
- Study dates
- 1 Mar 2026to Jun 2026
- 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 18 to 75 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Aged 18-28 (young adults [YA] group) or 65-75 (healthy older adults [HOA] group)
- Right-handed
- Normal or corrected-to-normal vision (glasses or contact lenses permitted)
- Clear and comfortable vision through the head-mounted display during a brief fitting (very bulky glasses may be incompatible)
- No self-reported history of neurological or psychiatric disorders, as confirmed by participant report and cross-checked against a standardized list of relevant medications
- Able to provide informed consent and follow experimental instructions in French or English
Show all 10Show fewer
- Additional criteria for HOA
- Normal cognitive functioning (Montreal cognitive assessment [MoCA] score ≥ 26)
- No self-reported acute or chronic pain in the dominant arm, shoulder, or elbow that would preclude performing repetitive arm movements in space.
- Self-reported full functional range of motion in the dominant arm (able to extend the arm fully without discomfort or restriction)
Who cannot join
- Individuals currently playing video games more than 5 hours/week.
- Uncorrected visual, auditory, or motor impairments that would interfere with task performance.
- Participant height outside the range of 1.50-1.80 m.
- Self-reported diagnosis of a neurodegenerative disease (e.g., Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease)
- Self-reported use of medications known to significantly affect cognitive or motor function (a list of relevant medications will be presented during screening).
- Cervical pain that could preclude wearing the VR headset during the full duration of the experimental session.
Show all 9Show fewer
- Self-reported history of severe motion sickness or vestibular issues that could be exacerbated by VR exposure
- High susceptibility to cybersickness, as assessed via the Visually Induced Motion Sickness Susceptibility Questionnaire which was developed specifically for pre-exposure screening; cut-off: ≥ 12.
- Individuals for whom the headset cannot be properly adjusted, e.g., due to an interpupillary distance outside the adjustment range of the head-mounted display (i.e., <53 mm or >75 mm).
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
Jean-Jacques Temprado, Full professor, PhD contact
France1 site
Faculté des Sciences du Sport, Aix Marseille University - Campus Luminy
Marseille, 13009
Sophia Hanke, M.Sc., +491607987923, sophia.hanke@univ-amu.fr
Jean-Jacques Temprado, Full professor, PhD, jean-jacques.temprado@univ-amu.fr
About this study
Official title: Performing Fitts' Tasks in Virtual Reality With and Without Augmented Feedback: a Comparison Between Young and Older Adults
This study has two main objectives: First, to better understand how a motor task commonly used by researchers, known as the Fitts' task, is performed in virtual reality. It consists of reaching a target, which may be large or small, by extending the right arm. This task is similar to movements commonly performed in everyday life. It is also increasingly used in virtual reality video games designed to train older adults or patients with functional limitations. Secondly, the investigators aim to describe how age influences performance in this task by comparing young adults and older adults. This can help better adapt the protocols used in virtual reality to the characteristics of users. It is of particular interest how movements change when the task becomes more difficult, whether these changes differ between young adults and older adults, and whether the information and feedback provided through virtual reality can improve the quality of motor performance. What is expected of participants: Participants will be seated comfortably, wearing a lightweight virtual reality headset and holding a controller in their right hand that will be used to reach for a target by keeping the controller within the target for about one second. The targets will vary in size, so some trials will seem easier and others more difficult. The task is simply to move as quickly as possible while remaining accurate (hitting the target). This instruction is important, and the experimenter will repeat it regularly during the experiment. The task will be performed under different conditions: sometimes participants will see the actual configuration of the experimental device in the physical world through the headset, and other times they will see the same configuration presented in virtual reality. In some virtual reality conditions, participants will also receive additional visual information indicating whether the target has been hit correctly. Short breaks are scheduled at regular intervals. Additional breaks can be asked for at any time when needed. The most important point is to avoid any fatigue or discomfort. If participants experience any, they are asked and encouraged to inform the experimenter. Before starting the experiment, participants will undergo a short training session to familiarize themselves with the task and the device.
Read the detailed description
Participants will perform a 3D Fitts' task with their dominant right hand, reaching from a fixed start button to a target positioned along the body's sagittal midline. The target will be placed 32 cm forward (anterior-posterior) and 24 cm upward (vertical) from the start position, yielding a resultant movement distance of 40 cm according to Pythagoras' theorem (a²+b²=c²). This distance will at most correspond to about 80% of maximal forward reach. Participants will be seated comfortably against a backrest in front of a table, with chair and table height as well as apparatus position adjusted individually so that the start button is aligned to an ergonomically optimal desk height, comparable to that used for writing. Movements will be performed using a handheld controller tracked by the built-in system of the head-mounted display (HMD). The HMD will be worn in all conditions: in the real world laboratory (R) condition, participants will view the physical apparatus through passthrough mode while in VR, they will see a visually identical virtual replication. Participants will only use their dominant right hand. Before each aiming movement, the right hand will be rested on the table while pointing at the start button. In the R condition, the start button will be represented by an open frame mounted on the table in front of the participant. The frame outlines a partial spherical contour that indicates the full size of a sphere and is oriented partly toward the participant and partly upward, allowing forward and upward movements toward the target without contacting a solid surface. The target will be a round sphere mounted on a thin vertical rod, into which participants must point without touching its surface. Both start button and target structures will be fabricated from lightweight 3D-printed plastic (2-3 mm thickness) with rounded edges. Target diameters correspond to 4 different values (14.1, 7.1, 3.5, or 1.8 cm), and the start button will be neutral yellow with a medium diameter (3 cm). In the VR condition, the setup is visually and spatially replicated. The start button is represented as a full grey sphere corresponding to the size indicated by the real-world frame, while the target sphere and vertical rod are rendered identically. Unlike the R condition, the full sphere is visible in VR, as there is no physical obstruction preventing participants from passing through it. Task difficulty will be manipulated via target width (14.1, 7.1, 3.5, or 1.8 cm), yielding indexes of difficulty (IDs) of 2.5, 3.5, 4.5, and 5.5 bits. Each trial will begin with the controller tip resting on the start sphere and participants will move as quickly and accurately as possible toward the target. A trial will be considered successful if the controller stays inside the target sphere continuously for 0.5 seconds. There will be four different feedback conditions which are described in detail in the section 'Arms and Interventions'. Participants will be recruited of two age groups: Either young adults aged 18-28 years or healthy older adults aged 65-75 years. Before starting the experiment (i.e., data recording), participants will complete a familiarization phase in all four feedback conditions presented in randomized order. In each condition, they will perform two blocks of 10 trials each at IDs 3 and 5 (distance of 40 cm and target sizes of 10.0 cm and 2.5 cm, respectively), with the order of IDs counterbalanced. This familiarization will comprise a total of 80 familiarization trials and serve to acquaint participants with the apparatus and the controller, VR immersion, and feedback conditions. After each condition, participants will provide a brief motion sickness rating using the Simulator Sickness Questionnaire and have a short break (about 60s, longer if needed). The main experiment will consist of 160 trials per participant (4 feedback conditions × 4 IDs × 10 trials). Trials will be organized into blocks of 40, each comprising four consecutive runs of 10 trials at a single ID (e.g., 10 trials at ID 3, then ID 4, etc.). The order of IDs within each block will be randomized, and the condition order will be counterbalanced across participants using a Latin square design. The motion tracking system of the Meta Quest 3 will be used to capture 3D positional data of the handheld controller throughout each trial (nominal sampling frequency = 120 Hz). Movement onset will be considered to occur when the controller speed exceeds a threshold of 3 cm/s, and movement offset will be defined as the moment the speed drops below 3 cm/s (following target entry for successful trials). These thresholds, used in previous experiments, ensure that only intentional movement periods are captured. Movement time is defined as the time elapsed between movement onset and offset.
- Conditions
- Healthy Older Adults, Healthy Young Adults
- Being tested
- VR-augmented specific feedback, VR-augmented global feedback, R-intrinsic feedback, VR-intrinsic feedback
- Keywords
- Virtual reality, Motor-cognitive, Interactions
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
VR-augmented specific feedbackBehavioural
Augmented visual error feedback will indicate the type of error. Generally, the target turns blue whenever it is entered. After remaining inside for 1 second, the trial is confirmed and the target turns green. For any error, the target turns red: either directly from grey if the target was never entered, or after briefly turning blue when entered and exited. Errors further trigger written messages: overshoots show 'too long', undershoots 'too short', and other deviations display directional errors (too right/too left/too high/too low).
VR-augmented global feedbackBehavioural
Augmented visual error feedback will indicate trial outcome, with the target sphere changing color (green for correct hit; red for miss).
R-intrinsic feedbackBehavioural
Participants will view the physical apparatus. Inherent visual and proprioceptive feedback will be available but no augmented visual feedback.
VR-intrinsic feedbackBehavioural
The immersive virtual setup will be presented without augmented visual feedback; participants will rely on intrinsic feedback.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Right-handed young adults (18 to 28 years) | Experimental | Healthy right-handed young adults aged 18 to 28 years receiving instructions to complete Fitts' task in four different feedback conditions in randomized order: R-intrinsic, VR-intrinsic, VR-augmented global, and VR-augmented specific. Receives: Behavioral: VR-augmented specific feedback; Behavioral: VR-augmented global feedback; Behavioral: R-intrinsic feedback; Behavioral: VR-intrinsic feedback |
| Right-handed healthy older adults (65 to 75 years) | Experimental | Healthy older adults (65 to 75 years) receiving instructions to complete Fitts' task in four different feedback conditions in randomized order: R-intrinsic, VR-intrinsic, VR-augmented global, and VR-augmented specific. Receives: Behavioral: VR-augmented specific feedback; Behavioral: VR-augmented global feedback; Behavioral: R-intrinsic feedback; Behavioral: VR-intrinsic feedback |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Slope of the efficiency function (Fitts' Law) across age groups and feedback conditions
According to Fitts' Law, movement time increases linearly with task difficulty (index of difficulty; ID). This relationship is captured by the efficiency function, plotting movement time against ID. The slope of the efficiency function reflects an individual's information processing efficiency (IPE): steeper slopes indicate lower IPE, while shallower slopes indicate higher IPE. Prior studies conducted in real-world conditions show older adults have steeper slopes, suggesting reduced IPE. In VR, performance patterns such as longer movement times and more sub-movements suggest efficiency function slopes may further differ. Therefore, this outcome will systematically compare efficiency function slopes across age groups and feedback conditions in VR and real-world settings.
Measured: Day 1 of 1
Secondary outcomes (4)
Effects of feedback conditions and age on movement times [ms]
It will be examined how feedback condition, task difficulty, and age group affect movement time (in ms) in virtual reality, and interactions between these factors will also be analyzed.
Measured: Day 1 of 1
Effects of feedback conditions and age on acceleration times [ms]
It will be examined how feedback condition, task difficulty, and age group affect acceleration time (in ms) in virtual reality, and interactions between these factors will also be analyzed.
Measured: Day 1 of 1
Effects of feedback conditions and age on deceleration times [ms]
It will be examined how feedback condition, task difficulty, and age group affect deceleration time (in ms) in virtual reality, and interactions between these factors will also be analyzed.
Measured: Day 1 of 1
Effects of feedback condition and age group on error rate [%]
It will be examined how feedback condition, task difficulty, and age group affect error rate (in %) in virtual reality, and interactions between these factors will also be analyzed.
Measured: Day 1 of 1
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted27 Feb 2026
- Study start1 Mar 2026 (estimated)
- Primary completion31 May 2026 (estimated)
- Study completionJun 2026 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (12)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for Healthy Older AdultsStudies 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
- Basic science
- Allocation
- Non-randomised
- Intervention model
- Crossover
- Model description
- 2 groups (Young and Older adults) having to perform reaching movements in virtual reality will be compared in different conditions of augmented feedback.
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 30 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Aix Marseille Université
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Jean-Jacques Temprado, PhD, Aix Marseille Université
- Investigators
- Jean-Jacques Temprado, Full professor, PhD, Principal investigator, Aix Marseille Université
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07435506
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- IRB00012476-2025-25-11-451
- Status last verified
- Mar 2025
- First submitted
- 3 Feb 2026
- Last updated
- 27 Feb 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No: IPD collected throughout this study will be used only for study purposes and will not be used with other research groups and/or in the context of other research projects.
Publications
Voelcker-Rehage C, Godde B, Staudinger UM. Cardiovascular and coordination training differentially improve cognitive performance and neural processing in older adults. Front Hum Neurosci. 2011 Mar 17;5:26. doi: 10.3389/fnhum.2011.00026. eCollection 2011.
PubMed 21441997Sleimen-Malkoun R, Temprado JJ, Berton E. Age-related dedifferentiation of cognitive and motor slowing: insight from the comparison of Hick-Hyman and Fitts' laws. Front Aging Neurosci. 2013 Oct 10;5:62. doi: 10.3389/fnagi.2013.00062. eCollection 2013.
PubMed 24137129Temprado JJ, Torre MM, Langeard A, Julien-Vintrou M, Devillers-Reolon L, Sleimen-Malkoun R, Berton E. Intentional Switching Between Bimanual Coordination Patterns in Older Adults: Is It Mediated by Inhibition Processes? Front Aging Neurosci. 2020 Feb 18;12:29. doi: 10.3389/fnagi.2020.00029. eCollection 2020.
PubMed 32132919Temprado JJ, Sleimen-Malkoun R, Lemaire P, Rey-Robert B, Retornaz F, Berton E. Aging of sensorimotor processes: a systematic study in Fitts' task. Exp Brain Res. 2013 Jul;228(1):105-16. doi: 10.1007/s00221-013-3542-0. Epub 2013 May 7.
PubMed 23649969Niemann C, Godde B, Voelcker-Rehage C. Not only cardiovascular, but also coordinative exercise increases hippocampal volume in older adults. Front Aging Neurosci. 2014 Aug 4;6:170. doi: 10.3389/fnagi.2014.00170. eCollection 2014.
PubMed 25165446McAnally K, Wallis G. Visual-haptic integration, action and embodiment in virtual reality. Psychol Res. 2022 Sep;86(6):1847-1857. doi: 10.1007/s00426-021-01613-3. Epub 2021 Oct 28.
PubMed 34709463Matthews MJ, Yusuf M, Doyle C, Thompson C. Quadrupedal movement training improves markers of cognition and joint repositioning. Hum Mov Sci. 2016 Jun;47:70-80. doi: 10.1016/j.humov.2016.02.002. Epub 2016 Feb 17.
PubMed 26896559Kourtesis P, Vizcay S, Marchal M, Pacchierotti C, Argelaguet F. Action-Specific Perception & Performance on a Fitts's Law Task in Virtual Reality: The Role of Haptic Feedback. IEEE Trans Vis Comput Graph. 2022 Nov;28(11):3715-3726. doi: 10.1109/TVCG.2022.3203003. Epub 2022 Oct 21.
PubMed 36048989FITTS PM. The information capacity of the human motor system in controlling the amplitude of movement. J Exp Psychol. 1954 Jun;47(6):381-91. No abstract available.
PubMed 13174710FITTS PM, PETERSON JR. INFORMATION CAPACITY OF DISCRETE MOTOR RESPONSES. J Exp Psychol. 1964 Feb;67:103-12. doi: 10.1037/h0045689. No abstract available.
PubMed 14114905Batmaz AU, Stuerzlinger W. Effective Throughput Analysis of Different Task Execution Strategies for Mid-Air Fitts' Tasks in Virtual Reality. IEEE Trans Vis Comput Graph. 2022 Nov;28(11):3939-3947. doi: 10.1109/TVCG.2022.3203105. Epub 2022 Oct 21.
PubMed 36044498Budde H, Voelcker-Rehage C, Pietrabyk-Kendziorra S, Ribeiro P, Tidow G. Acute coordinative exercise improves attentional performance in adolescents. Neurosci Lett. 2008 Aug 22;441(2):219-23. doi: 10.1016/j.neulet.2008.06.024. Epub 2008 Jun 13.
PubMed 18602754
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 27 Feb 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Performing Fitts' Tasks in Virtual Reality With and Without Augmented Feedback: a Comparison Between Young and Older Adults
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07435506
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- IRB00012476-2025-25-11-451
- Conditions
- Healthy Older Adults, Healthy Young Adults
- Keywords
- Virtual reality, Motor-cognitive, Interactions
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Not yet recruiting
- Enrolment
- 30 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Aix Marseille UniversitéUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 1 Mar 2026 (estimated)
- Primary completion
- 31 May 2026 (estimated)
- Study completion
- Jun 2026 (estimated)
- First posted
- 27 Feb 2026 (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 has two main objectives: First, to better understand how a motor task commonly used by researchers, known as the Fitts' task, is performed in virtual reality. It consists of reaching a target, which may be large or small, by extending the right arm. This task is similar to movements commonly performed in everyday life. It is also increasingly used in virtual reality video games designed to train older adults or patients with functional limitations. Secondly, the investigators aim to describe how age influences performance in this task by comparing young adults and older adults. This can help better adapt the protocols used in virtual reality to the characteristics of users. It is of particular interest how movements change when the task becomes more difficult, whether these changes differ between young adults and older adults, and whether the information and feedback provided through virtual reality can improve the quality of motor performance. What is expected of participants: Participants will be seated comfortably, wearing a lightweight virtual reality headset and holding a controller in their right hand that will be used to reach for a target by keeping the controller within the target for about one second. The targets will vary in size, so some trials will seem easier and others more difficult. The task is simply to move as quickly as possible while remaining accurate (hitting the target). This instruction is important, and the experimenter will repeat it regularly during the experiment. The task will be performed under different conditions: sometimes participants will see the actual configuration of the experimental device in the physical world through the headset, and other times they will see the same configuration presented in virtual reality. In some virtual reality conditions, participants will also receive additional visual information indicating whether the target has been hit correctly. Short breaks are scheduled at regular intervals. Additional breaks can be asked for at any time when needed. The most important point is to avoid any fatigue or discomfort. If participants experience any, they are asked and encouraged to inform the experimenter. Before starting the experiment, participants will undergo a short training session to familiarize themselves with the task and the device.
Detailed description
Participants will perform a 3D Fitts' task with their dominant right hand, reaching from a fixed start button to a target positioned along the body's sagittal midline. The target will be placed 32 cm forward (anterior-posterior) and 24 cm upward (vertical) from the start position, yielding a resultant movement distance of 40 cm according to Pythagoras' theorem (a²+b²=c²). This distance will at most correspond to about 80% of maximal forward reach. Participants will be seated comfortably against a backrest in front of a table, with chair and table height as well as apparatus position adjusted individually so that the start button is aligned to an ergonomically optimal desk height, comparable to that used for writing. Movements will be performed using a handheld controller tracked by the built-in system of the head-mounted display (HMD). The HMD will be worn in all conditions: in the real world laboratory (R) condition, participants will view the physical apparatus through passthrough mode while in VR, they will see a visually identical virtual replication. Participants will only use their dominant right hand. Before each aiming movement, the right hand will be rested on the table while pointing at the start button. In the R condition, the start button will be represented by an open frame mounted on the table in front of the participant. The frame outlines a partial spherical contour that indicates the full size of a sphere and is oriented partly toward the participant and partly upward, allowing forward and upward movements toward the target without contacting a solid surface. The target will be a round sphere mounted on a thin vertical rod, into which participants must point without touching its surface. Both start button and target structures will be fabricated from lightweight 3D-printed plastic (2-3 mm thickness) with rounded edges. Target diameters correspond to 4 different values (14.1, 7.1, 3.5, or 1.8 cm), and the start button will be neutral yellow with a medium diameter (3 cm). In the VR condition, the setup is visually and spatially replicated. The start button is represented as a full grey sphere corresponding to the size indicated by the real-world frame, while the target sphere and vertical rod are rendered identically. Unlike the R condition, the full sphere is visible in VR, as there is no physical obstruction preventing participants from passing through it. Task difficulty will be manipulated via target width (14.1, 7.1, 3.5, or 1.8 cm), yielding indexes of difficulty (IDs) of 2.5, 3.5, 4.5, and 5.5 bits. Each trial will begin with the controller tip resting on the start sphere and participants will move as quickly and accurately as possible toward the target. A trial will be considered successful if the controller stays inside the target sphere continuously for 0.5 seconds. There will be four different feedback conditions which are described in detail in the section 'Arms and Interventions'. Participants will be recruited of two age groups: Either young adults aged 18-28 years or healthy older adults aged 65-75 years. Before starting the experiment (i.e., data recording), participants will complete a familiarization phase in all four feedback conditions presented in randomized order. In each condition, they will perform two blocks of 10 trials each at IDs 3 and 5 (distance of 40 cm and target sizes of 10.0 cm and 2.5 cm, respectively), with the order of IDs counterbalanced. This familiarization will comprise a total of 80 familiarization trials and serve to acquaint participants with the apparatus and the controller, VR immersion, and feedback conditions. After each condition, participants will provide a brief motion sickness rating using the Simulator Sickness Questionnaire and have a short break (about 60s, longer if needed). The main experiment will consist of 160 trials per participant (4 feedback conditions × 4 IDs × 10 trials). Trials will be organized into blocks of 40, each comprising four consecutive runs of 10 trials at a single ID (e.g., 10 trials at ID 3, then ID 4, etc.). The order of IDs within each block will be randomized, and the condition order will be counterbalanced across participants using a Latin square design. The motion tracking system of the Meta Quest 3 will be used to capture 3D positional data of the handheld controller throughout each trial (nominal sampling frequency = 120 Hz). Movement onset will be considered to occur when the controller speed exceeds a threshold of 3 cm/s, and movement offset will be defined as the moment the speed drops below 3 cm/s (following target entry for successful trials). These thresholds, used in previous experiments, ensure that only intentional movement periods are captured. Movement time is defined as the time elapsed between movement onset and offset.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Basic science
- Allocation
- Non-randomised
- Intervention model
- Crossover
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 2
- Model description
- 2 groups (Young and Older adults) having to perform reaching movements in virtual reality will be compared in different conditions of augmented feedback.
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Right-handed young adults (18 to 28 years) | Experimental | Behavioral: VR-augmented specific feedback, Behavioral: VR-augmented global feedback, Behavioral: R-intrinsic feedback, Behavioral: VR-intrinsic feedbackHealthy right-handed young adults aged 18 to 28 years receiving instructions to complete Fitts' task in four different feedback conditions in randomized order: R-intrinsic, VR-intrinsic, VR-augmented global, and VR-augmented specific. |
| Right-handed healthy older adults (65 to 75 years) | Experimental | Behavioral: VR-augmented specific feedback, Behavioral: VR-augmented global feedback, Behavioral: R-intrinsic feedback, Behavioral: VR-intrinsic feedbackHealthy older adults (65 to 75 years) receiving instructions to complete Fitts' task in four different feedback conditions in randomized order: R-intrinsic, VR-intrinsic, VR-augmented global, and VR-augmented specific. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 75 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (10 listed)
- Aged 18-28 (young adults [YA] group) or 65-75 (healthy older adults [HOA] group)
- Right-handed
- Normal or corrected-to-normal vision (glasses or contact lenses permitted)
- Clear and comfortable vision through the head-mounted display during a brief fitting (very bulky glasses may be incompatible)
- No self-reported history of neurological or psychiatric disorders, as confirmed by participant report and cross-checked against a standardized list of relevant medications
Key exclusion criteria (9 listed)
- Individuals currently playing video games more than 5 hours/week.
- Uncorrected visual, auditory, or motor impairments that would interfere with task performance.
- Participant height outside the range of 1.50-1.80 m.
- Self-reported diagnosis of a neurodegenerative disease (e.g., Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease)
- Self-reported use of medications known to significantly affect cognitive or motor function (a list of relevant medications will be presented during screening).
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 |
|---|---|---|
| VR-augmented specific feedbackAugmented visual error feedback will indicate the type of error. Generally, the target turns blue whenever it is entered. After remaining inside for 1 second, the trial is confirmed and the target turns green. For any error, the target turns red: either directly from grey if the target was never entered, or after briefly turning blue when entered and exited. Errors further trigger written messages: overshoots show 'too long', undershoots 'too short', and other deviations display directional errors (too right/too left/too high/too low). | Behavioural | Right-handed healthy older adults (65 to 75 years), Right-handed young adults (18 to 28 years) |
| VR-augmented global feedbackAugmented visual error feedback will indicate trial outcome, with the target sphere changing color (green for correct hit; red for miss). | Behavioural | Right-handed healthy older adults (65 to 75 years), Right-handed young adults (18 to 28 years) |
| R-intrinsic feedbackParticipants will view the physical apparatus. Inherent visual and proprioceptive feedback will be available but no augmented visual feedback. | Behavioural | Right-handed healthy older adults (65 to 75 years), Right-handed young adults (18 to 28 years) |
| VR-intrinsic feedbackThe immersive virtual setup will be presented without augmented visual feedback; participants will rely on intrinsic feedback. | Behavioural | Right-handed healthy older adults (65 to 75 years), Right-handed young adults (18 to 28 years) |
Primary outcome
Slope of the efficiency function (Fitts' Law) across age groups and feedback conditions
Time frame: Day 1 of 1
According to Fitts' Law, movement time increases linearly with task difficulty (index of difficulty; ID). This relationship is captured by the efficiency function, plotting movement time against ID. The slope of the efficiency function reflects an individual's information processing efficiency (IPE): steeper slopes indicate lower IPE, while shallower slopes indicate higher IPE. Prior studies conducted in real-world conditions show older adults have steeper slopes, suggesting reduced IPE. In VR, performance patterns such as longer movement times and more sub-movements suggest efficiency function slopes may further differ. Therefore, this outcome will systematically compare efficiency function slopes across age groups and feedback conditions in VR and real-world settings.
4 secondary outcomes
Effects of feedback conditions and age on movement times [ms]
Time frame: Day 1 of 1
Effects of feedback conditions and age on acceleration times [ms]
Time frame: Day 1 of 1
Effects of feedback conditions and age on deceleration times [ms]
Time frame: Day 1 of 1
Effects of feedback condition and age group on error rate [%]
Time frame: Day 1 of 1
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 27 Feb 2026.
- Background: PubMed 21441997Voelcker-Rehage C, Godde B, Staudinger UM. Cardiovascular and coordination training differentially improve cognitive performance and neural processing in older adults. Front Hum Neurosci. 2011 Mar 17;5:26. doi: 10.3389/fnhum.2011.00026. eCollection 2011.
- Background: PubMed 24137129Sleimen-Malkoun R, Temprado JJ, Berton E. Age-related dedifferentiation of cognitive and motor slowing: insight from the comparison of Hick-Hyman and Fitts' laws. Front Aging Neurosci. 2013 Oct 10;5:62. doi: 10.3389/fnagi.2013.00062. eCollection 2013.
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- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No. IPD collected throughout this study will be used only for study purposes and will not be used with other research groups and/or in the context of other research projects.
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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.
Jean-Jacques Temprado, Full professor, PhD contact
Jean-Jacques Temprado, Full professor, PhD principal investigator
Aix Marseille Université
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing VR-augmented specific feedback, VR-augmented global feedback and R-intrinsic feedback in people with Healthy Older Adults and Healthy Young Adults, run by Aix Marseille Université at 1 site in France.
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 10 inclusion and 9 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 27 Feb 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 France. 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 Sophia Hanke, M.Sc. (+491607987923, sophia.hanke@univ-amu.fr), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Slope of the efficiency function (Fitts' Law) across age groups and feedback conditions (time frame: Day 1 of 1). 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 NCT07435506, which also lists 12 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 27 Feb 2026; AzTrials last refreshed its copy on 6 Nov 2026.