An interventional study of Multisensory Virtual Reality Reminiscence Intervention in Apathy and Apathy in Dementia, sponsored by Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nice. Not yet recruiting at 2 sites in France. Open to participants aged 65 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-05-26.
Sponsored by Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nice · Not applicable, Interventional, and Supportive care
Among 128 studies in Dementia with a site in France — 25 open to participants now, 33 under way, 6 of them phase 3. Dementia · France.
Among the 128 studies in Dementia with a site in France, this one is the 91st largest by planned enrollment of the 92 interventional ones, is one of 3 that started in 2026, is one of 44 with no phase, reaches primary completion later than 12 of the 32 other live ones, and was the 125th registered.
2,372 studies on the registry are indexed under Dementia; 574 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 10 is below the median of 90 across 1,758 interventional studies indexed under Dementia.
Browse Dementia studies →25 of the 128 studies in Dementia with a site in France are open now, in 12 countries. Each count lists the studies.
Of the 381 Dementia studies recruiting now, 242 (64%) set no upper age limit and 25 (7%) stop at 75 or younger; 16 take children under 18; 163 take healthy volunteers.
This study: 65 Years and older · all sexes · no healthy volunteers.
The full table on the hub →128 studies; the count open now beside each. This study's row is marked.
First in 2001; this study’s year is marked. 3 started in 2026.
Median enrollment 201 across the 92 interventional studies, 308 across the 36 observational. Of the 85 that completed or were terminated, 18 (21%) have results posted.
44 of 128 have an industry lead sponsor. The 10 most frequent:
Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nice is the lead sponsor of 723 studies on the registry; 176 are open to participants now.
Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nice has 3 studies filed under Dementia — fewer than ten, so there is no comparison to draw.
7 of the studies in Dementia with a site in France that are under way reach primary completion within a year, 0 of them phase 3. Phase 3 first, then by date:
| Study | Primary completion |
|---|---|
| NCT07237009KompanionCare SASEffects of Personalized Digital Reminiscence Therapy on Patients With Neurocognitive Disorders | 2026-12 |
| NCT07468305Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de NiceSENS'REM - SENSoriality and Multi-Sensory Emotional Reminiscences: a Pilot Study | 2027-02 |
| NCT05977712Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de ParisCircadian Rhythm and Other Factors in Memory Clinic Patients | 2027-03 |
| NCT04946916Hôpital le VinatierNeurofilament Light Chains and Cognitive Impairment in Chronic Psychiatric Disease | 2027-03-22 |
| NCT07730957LNA SANTEProtocolized Receptive Music Intervention to Reduce Care Refusal in Nursing Home Residents With Major Neurocognitive Disorders | 2027-06-30 |
Among the 128 studies in Dementia with a site in France, from their registry updates:
SENS'REM is a pilot feasibility study evaluating a new non-drug therapeutic program based on multisensory reminiscence using immersive virtual reality in older adults living in nursing homes or long-term care units who present cognitive impairment and apathy.
Apathy is a frequent symptom in people with neurocognitive disorders. It is characterized by a loss of motivation, reduced interest in activities, and decreased emotional engagement. Apathy strongly affects quality of life, social interactions, and participation in care, and current drug treatments have limited effectiveness. For this reason, non-pharmacological approaches are increasingly recommended.
The SENS'REM program combines virtual reality with personalized multisensory stimulation (visual, auditory, olfactory and gustatory) to help participants relive meaningful autobiographical memories in an immersive and emotionally engaging environment. Each participant receives one session per week for six weeks. The content of the sessions is adapted to the individual life history of each participant.
The primary objective of this study is to evaluate the feasibility of implementing this program in institutional settings, including recruitment, organization, technical aspects, and participant adherence. Secondary objectives include evaluating changes in apathy, quality of life, cognitive functioning, social engagement, participant satisfaction, and the tolerance of the intervention.
The main hypothesis of the study is that a personalized multisensory virtual reality reminiscence program is feasible in nursing home and long-term care settings and may contribute to a reduction in apathy and an improvement in engagement and well-being among older adults with cognitive impairment.
This pilot study will provide essential preliminary data to optimize the intervention and prepare a future larger comparative clinical trial.
2,372 studies on the registry are indexed under Dementia; 574 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 10 is below the median of 90 across 1,758 interventional studies indexed under Dementia.
Browse Dementia studies →Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nice is the lead sponsor of 723 studies on the registry; 176 are open to participants now.
Compared within Dementia, this study's primary condition as ClinicalTrials.gg classifies it; the registry's first condition term is Neurocognitive Disorders. The counts are of registry records indexed under each term, refreshed daily. How we classify →
Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.
Exclusion Criteria:
Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Short tests of memory and thinking, each scored out of 30. Lower scores suggest more difficulty; criteria give a range, either to include people with memory problems or to leave them out.
A reason a treatment, test or procedure should not be given to a particular person, such as an allergy, another illness or a medicine they take.
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
The American Psychiatric Association’s manual of mental health diagnoses. DSM-5 (2013, revised as DSM-5-TR in 2022) replaced DSM-IV, and some studies still name the older edition. “Meets DSM criteria for …” means diagnosed by that edition’s diagnostic criteria, usually by a clinician in an interview.
MMSE and MoCA
Short tests of memory and thinking, each scored out of 30. Lower scores suggest more difficulty; criteria give a range, either to include people with memory problems or to leave them out.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Contraindication
A reason a treatment, test or procedure should not be given to a particular person, such as an allergy, another illness or a medicine they take.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Informed consent
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
DSM diagnostic criteria
The American Psychiatric Association’s manual of mental health diagnoses. DSM-5 (2013, revised as DSM-5-TR in 2022) replaced DSM-IV, and some studies still name the older edition. “Meets DSM criteria for …” means diagnosed by that edition’s diagnostic criteria, usually by a clinician in an interview.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Behavioral: Multisensory Virtual Reality Reminiscence Intervention
Participants receive a personalized multisensory reminiscence therapy program delivered through immersive virtual reality. Each participant attends one individual session per week for six consecutive weeks. Sessions last between 30 and 60 minutes and are conducted in a quiet room within the nursing home or long-term care unit. The virtual environments are selected according to each participant's life history and personal memories, such as familiar places or meaningful contexts. The intervention combines visual immersion with auditory stimulation, olfactory cues, and, when appropriate, gustatory stimuli. During each session, participants are encouraged to express memories, emotions, and perceptions associated with the virtual experience. A trained investigator remains present throughout the session to ensure safety, provide support, and collect observational data. Sessions are adapted to the participant's tolerance and may be interrupted at any time. The intervention is designed to stim
Overall feasibility of the multisensory virtual reality reminiscence intervention in institutional settings
Feasibility is assessed through functional, organizational, technological, and recruitment indicators. Functional feasibility is defined as the proportion of participants completing at least 50% of planned sessions (minimum 3 of 6 sessions). Organizational feasibility includes the proportion of sessions conducted as scheduled, and the frequency and reasons for postponed or cancelled sessions. Technological feasibility evaluates the availability and proper functioning of virtual reality equipment, including hardware or software failures and technical issues. Recruitment feasibility is assessed by the number of screened participants, the number eligible, and the proportion providing informed consent. No standardized scale is used; feasibility is described using descriptive quantitative indicators.
Time frame: at 12 months
Change in apathy level measured by the Apathy Inventory
The change in apathy is assessed using the Apathy Inventory (AI; Robert et al., 2002), a validated instrument for neurocognitive disorders. Three complementary versions are used: patient version (8 items, score range 0-32), caregiver version (18 items, score range 0-72), and informant version (18 items, score range 0-72). Items are rated from 0 (never) to 4 (very often). Lower scores indicate greater apathy, while higher scores reflect better motivation and engagement. No formal cut-off score is applied; changes are evaluated by comparing baseline and post-intervention scores across the three sources.
Time frame: at 12 months
Tolerance of the intervention assessed by cybersickness symptoms
Tolerance is assessed using the CyberSickness in Virtual Reality Questionnaire (CSQ-VR; Kourtesis et al., 2023), a validated instrument measuring discomfort related to virtual reality exposure. The questionnaire includes 20 items assessing symptoms such as nausea, dizziness, visual disturbance, disorientation, and fatigue. Each item is rated from 0 (none) to 4 (severe), providing a total score reflecting cybersickness severity. Higher scores indicate greater discomfort. No validated clinical cut-off is defined; tolerance is evaluated by comparing symptom severity across sessions and at the end of the intervention period. In addition, all adverse events related to VR use are systematically recorded.
Time frame: at 12 months
Plan to share: No
No publications or documents are linked to this record.
Start is estimated for Sep 2026; primary completion for Feb 2027, 5 months later.
Of 855 non-industry interventional studies with no phase under Dementia, half reached primary completion within 25 months of starting (the median), counting those still running; a quarter within 11 and three quarters within 44. This study's planned 5 months is below that.
Counting every sponsor, half of 901 studies reached it within 25 months; a quarter within 11 and three quarters within 43.
How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.
This study is not yet recruiting, as verified in May 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
Get an email when the registry record changes — status, dates, results — or when someone posts here.
Sign in to followQuestions and observations about this study, from anyone following it. Not medical advice, and not a channel to the study team — their contact details are on the registry record.
Sign in to join the discussion. Reading takes no account; posting does. You choose a display name, and a pseudonym is the default.
Nothing here yet. If you are running this trial, taking part in it, or weighing whether to, this is the place to say so.
Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nice →