MedTrace Logo

ENGAGE: Virtual Reality-based Psychotherapy for Negative Symptoms in Schizophrenia

NCT06993831 · Status: COMPLETED · Phase: NA · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 30

Last updated 2026-01-09

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

The primary goal of this pilot study is to examine the feasibility and acceptability of a new Virtual Reality-based intervention against negative symptoms in schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSD).

The main questions it aims to answer are:

1. Is Virtual Reality-based therapy a feasible and acceptable treatment for negative symptoms in SSD?
2. Are there indications that the treatment is effective in reducing negative symptoms, improving daily functioning, and enhancing quality of life?

Researchers will compare the new Virtual Reality-based treatment to standard psychiatric care to evaluate therapy effectiveness.

Participants will be allocated to receive either 10 sessions of Virtual Reality-based therapy or Treatment as usual. All participants will undergo a thorough assessment at baseline and at follow-up after 12 weeks.

Conditions

  • Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders
  • Negative Symptoms in Schizophrenia

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Virtual Reality-based psychotherapy

A manualized, modularized, Virtual Reality-based intervention comprising 10 sessions of 1 hour each. The VR therapy aims at enhancing anticipatory pleasure and positive emotions by amplifying exposure and reactivity towards social environments and rewarding activities using a highly elaborate VR software. The VR exposure comprises several different virtual social environments (e.g., a bus, a café, a park etc.) In a tailored treatment approach, therapists will guide participants to train focusing on positive stimuli, engage in activities, experience social rewards, and practice expressing emotions through body language. The therapy focuses on increasing the awareness of positive outcomes that may influence motivation. The therapy deploys activity appraisal/re-appraisal intended to enhance the salience of future opportunities for reward and desire for such rewards, thus targeting reward anticipation processes and promoting enjoyable daily-life activities.

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • CNSR, Glostrup Psychiatric Center

    collaborator UNKNOWN

  • Mental Health Services in the Capital Region, Denmark

    lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

  • Louise B Glenthøj, PhD, dr.med. · VIRTU Research Group, Mental Health Center Copenhagen, Copenhagen University Hospital - Mental Health Services CPH, Denmark

Study Design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE
Model
PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Max Age
70 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2024-12-09
Primary Completion
2026-01-07
Completion
2026-01-07

Countries

  • Denmark

Study Locations

More Related Trials

Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT06993831 on ClinicalTrials.gov