Gamification Effects on the 6-Minute Walk Test in Children

Conditions

• Neuromuscular Diseases in Children

Eligibility Criteria

Sex

ALL

Age

6 Years - 12 Years

Healthy Volunteers

Not accepted

Interventions

• Standard 6MWT — OTHER
  ATS-standard instructions, no electronic system; Conducted in hallway measuring total length of 90ft (27.4 meters). Patients will walk down-and-back. A seated rest period of ≥10 min separates the two tests to minimize fatigue carry-over.
• Gamified 6MWT — OTHER
  identical course but child carries a RFID tag; at each lap the child taps an on an RFID reader, awarding a point and leveling-up an on-screen avatar; Conducted in hallway measuring total length of 90ft (27.4 meters). Patients will walk down-and-back.A seated rest period of ≥10 min separates the two tests to minimize fatigue carry-over.

Study Details

The goal of this study is to learn if adding a game to the 6-minute walk test for children with neuromuscular disorders will increase enjoyment and motivation to complete the test.

Key Dates

Start date

Jun 30, 2026

Status verified

Jun 2026

Primary completion

Dec 1, 2026

Completion

Dec 1, 2026

Study Design

Enrollment

20 participants (estimated)

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Intervention model

PARALLEL

Primary purpose

BASIC_SCIENCE

Arms

• Experimental: Gamified test
  child carries a Radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag to scan at each lap, watching avatar level up.
• Active Comparator: Standard test
  no game; same verbal cue every minute

Primary Outcome Measure

Change in 6 minute walk distance [ Time Frame: Baseline and post intervention (approximately 20 minutes) ]

Central Contacts

• David N Toupin, MD
  859-218-1900
  [email protected]

Locations (1)

Find similar trials in Lexington, KY

Related Studies

• CIMR Neuromuscular Research Biobank
  Recruiting · Virginia Commonwealth University · Richmond, Virginia