A Pilot Tool of the Virtual Scenario Initial Dementia Cognitive Screening (VSIDCS) with a Cultural Exhibition for Improving the Standard Traditional Test

Cheng-Li Liu,Shin-Ray Chang

doi:10.3390/healthcare9091160

Abstract

Dementia has become a serious global health problem for older people. In the past, primary screening for dementia was carried out by a paper test. These standard traditional tests (e.g., Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE)) have been used for many years. In addition to paper tests, is there another way to let people have better involvement and emotions during the test procedure? With the advancement of technology, the application of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) have changed and improved many medical technologies. However, there are few applications of VR and AR in dementia screening. The purpose of this study was to apply VR and AR to construct a pilot tool for virtual scenario initial dementia cognitive screening (VSIDCS) with a cultural exhibition, to achieve better involvement and emotions in participants. There were three operating interfaces designed for the system: a VR screening interface, cognitive board, and AR recognition interface. There were twenty-four middle-aged people (Female 10 and Male 14 between 50 and 65 years of age and with an average age of 58.7 years) selected for the test. The results of the experiments showed that VSIDCS test scores are consistent with those of the MoCA and MMSE. Additionally, VSIDCS can induce better involvement and emotions than the MoCA and MMSE. Participants showed better enthusiasm and more positive experiences during the VSIDCS test.

Highlights

In recent years, due to the increase in average life expectancy, the incidence of agerelated diseases has increased dramatically
This study focused on the development and piloting of a cognitive screen/test; there were twenty-four middle-age people (F 10 and M 14 between 50 and 65 years of age and with an average age of 58.7 years) who were selected to participate in evaluation of the effects of involvement and emotions in virtual scenario initial dementia cognitive screening (VSIDCS), Montreal Cognitive Assessment Test (MoCA), and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE)
It is convincing that VSIDCS can be used to screen the symptoms of dementia; the results of this test can provide the basis for the diagnosis of dementia

Summary

Introduction

Due to the increase in average life expectancy, the incidence of agerelated diseases has increased dramatically. The most common age-related symptom is mild cognitive impairment (MCI), which usually represents the transition from healthy aging to dementia. The overall dementia population approached 1.24% of the national population. It was estimated that by 2165, Taiwan’s dementia population will approach 900,000 [1]. According to a report by the World Health Organization, the global annual expenditure on dementia is over 604 billion US dollars [2]. Some normal aging phenomena (such as slow movement, memory loss, etc.) may be the initial signs of dementia in older people [3,4]. MCI is an important indicator for early detection of dementia. For the determination of MCI, cognitive screening is an important first step. People with MCI can participate in prevention programs in advance to delay deterioration [6,7]

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