The Impact of 'Digital Strolling' on Depression and Quality of Life of People With Severe Mobility Impairment

Rehabilitation
Mental health and psychosocial factors
Online since 2 December 2025, updated today

About this trial

This feasibility trial is enrolling 24 participants with severe mobility impairment (e.g., due to spinal cord injury) to test the effect of a virtual walking intervention called “Digital Strolling” on mental health. If included, participants will be randomly assigned to complete 10 daily sessions, each lasting 15–20 minutes, of either active virtual walking (using arm swing locomotion to experience virtual walking in 10 different scenarios in a virtual world) or passive video-based walking. Final testing of feasibility and mental health will be performed after 3 weeks.

Included participants

Gender
All
Age
≥ 18 years
Injury level
C1 - S5
  • Severity (AIS)?
  • Time since injury
    ≥ 6 months
    Healthy volunteers
    No
    C1-S5

    What’s involved

    Type

    Rehabilitation

    Details

    - Participants will be randomly assigned to complete 10 daily sessions, each lasting 15–20 minutes, of either active virtual walking or passive video-based walking. - In the virtual walking group, participants will wear a head-mounted display and use a controller to swing their arm and control a virtual avatar walking through different environments. - In the passive walking group, participants will simply watch walking videos without interaction. - Final testing of feasibility and mental health will be performed after 3 weeks.

    Potential benefits

    Main benefits

    Mental health and psychosocial factors

    Additional benefits

    Arm/hand function

    General health

    Pain

    Good to know: Potential benefits are defined as outcomes that are being measured during and/or after the trial.

    Wings for Life supports SCITrialsFinder

    Wings for Life has proudly initiated, led and funded the new version of the SCI Trials Finder website. Wings for Life aims to find a cure for spinal cord injuries. The not-for-profit foundation funds world-class scientific research and clinical trials around the globe.

    Learn more


    • Trial recruitment status
    • Recruiting
    • Trial start date
    • 9 May 2025
    • Organisation
    • The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
    • Trial recruitment status
    • Recruiting
    • Trial start date
    • 9 May 2025
    • Organisation
    • The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

    Wings for Life supports SCITrialsFinder

    Wings for Life has proudly initiated, led and funded the new version of the SCI Trials Finder website. Wings for Life aims to find a cure for spinal cord injuries. The not-for-profit foundation funds world-class scientific research and clinical trials around the globe.

    Learn more