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Preserving Ability Through Virtual Exercise (PAVE)

Preserving Ability Through Virtual Exercise (PAVE): An Intervention to Increase the Physical Activity of Hospitalized Older Adults

Who can join

Ages 55 and older · All sexes

Inclusion Criteria:

1. in the last 72 hours, they were admitted to the medical floor that is the setting of the study,
2. are 55 years or older,
3. their bedside nurse approves their physical activity participation in this study

Exclusion Criteria:

1. they are unable to pass the Evaluation to Sign Consent Measure,
2. they score 20 or lower on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment Basic,
3. they have an admitting diagnosis that could be worsened through virtual reality exercise,
4. they have an attached medical device that decreases the safety of physical activity such as a nasogastric tube or continuous fluids running through a PICC line that cannot be paused,
5. they are unable to follow commands or move their extremities against gravity during the UMove Mobility Assessment,
6. they are unable to wear the virtual reality headset,
7. they received the education control intervention or PAVE intervention during a prior admission,
8. there is an active plan to discharge this patient during day of recruitment or the following day,
9. they are on airborne or droplet precautions

About the study

Each day in the hospital leads to functional decline and loss of muscle mass, which older adults can find difficult or impossible to restore in the post-acute period. The overall objective of this proposed project is to explore the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of a virtual reality physical activity intervention at helping older adults engage in physical activity and maintain physical function and mental health during their hospital stay. As virtual reality technology becomes more affordable and ubiquitously available across the world, this study will demonstrate how this technology could be leveraged to maintain the function of older adults in the hospital.

What is being tested

• PAVE intervention (behavioral)
• Education control (behavioral)

Sponsor: University of Maryland, Baltimore · Participants: 140 · Started: Feb 1, 2026

Contact the study team

• Brittany Burch, PhD, MSN, RN · Phone: 4107063770

Official record on ClinicalTrials.gov — NCT07189286

Locations in the U.S.

From ClinicalTrials.gov, data retrieved Sep 30, 2026. Each study sets its own eligibility; the study team decides who can join.