Alvarabie Radietya, Yun Yang, Gaillard Alexandra, Tirosh Oren, Sarai Gurdeep, Burjawi Elissa, Meyer Denny, Xiao Junhua
Department of Biomedical, Health and Exercise Sciences, School of Health Sciences, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, Victoria, Australia.
Northern Area Mental Health Service, Northern Health, Epping, Australia.
Contemp Clin Trials Commun. 2025 Jun 20;46:101510. doi: 10.1016/j.conctc.2025.101510. eCollection 2025 Aug.
Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is a prevalent and chronic psychiatric disorder associated with substantially reduced quality of life. However, current mental health management strategies- particularly for non-pharmacological interventions-to reduce this burden are limited in their efficacy. This pilot trial will, for the first time, assess if simulated sailing, combining virtual reality with recreational exercise, is a promising exercise-based therapeutic approach to reducing depression and improving the quality of life for people with MDD.
To evaluate the effectiveness of virtual sailing on MDD, 58 adults aged between 18 and 64 who have a diagnosis of MDD and can consent and participate in virtual sailing exercises will be recruited for the trial. Exclusion criteria include suicidality, severe mental illness, ongoing psychiatric treatment, and life circumstances that would hinder participation. After the pre-exercise screening, eligible participants will participate in simulated sailing sessions (30 min per session, one session per week) over six weeks. The primary outcome measurements include the evaluation of depression, anxiety, stress, quality of life, clinical improvement, and overall functioning as well as motor coordination. The second aim is to investigate if the virtual sailing program results in neuroplastic changes in the brain that restore altered resting-state functional connectivity and metabolites in MDD using Magnetic Resonance Imaging. Participants will be assessed at baseline and after the last sailing session.
The findings of this pilot study will inform a new therapeutic approach aimed at reducing depression and improving the quality of life for people with MDD.
重度抑郁症（MDD）是一种常见的慢性精神疾病，与生活质量大幅下降相关。然而，目前用于减轻这种负担的心理健康管理策略，尤其是非药物干预措施，其疗效有限。这项试点试验将首次评估将虚拟现实与娱乐锻炼相结合的模拟航行是否是一种有前景的基于锻炼的治疗方法，以减轻抑郁症患者的抑郁症状并提高其生活质量。
为了评估虚拟航行对MDD的有效性，将招募58名年龄在18至64岁之间、被诊断患有MDD且能够同意并参与虚拟航行锻炼的成年人参与该试验。排除标准包括有自杀倾向、患有严重精神疾病、正在接受精神科治疗以及会妨碍参与的生活状况。在运动前筛查后，符合条件的参与者将在六周内参加模拟航行课程（每次课程30分钟，每周一次）。主要结局测量包括对抑郁、焦虑、压力、生活质量、临床改善、整体功能以及运动协调能力的评估。第二个目标是使用磁共振成像研究虚拟航行计划是否会导致大脑发生神经可塑性变化，从而恢复MDD患者改变的静息态功能连接和代谢物水平。参与者将在基线和最后一次航行课程后进行评估。
这项试点研究的结果将为一种旨在减轻抑郁症患者抑郁症状并提高其生活质量的新治疗方法提供依据。
