Effects of incorporating virtual reality training intervention into health care on cognitive function and wellbeing in older adults with cognitive impairment: A randomized controlled trial

Abstract

High prevalence of cognitive impairment in older adults coupled with often missed and delayed diagnosis of dementia has raised interest in the nonpharmacologic interventions such as virtual reality (VR) technology for cognitive training, prevention or risk reduction. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of a VR cognitive training intervention (VRCTI) on changes of cognitive function measured with a cognitive test battery and improvement of quality of life in older adults with cognitive impairment in long-term care facilities. A 1-hour session which was implemented weekly over 8 weeks, targeted mainly the sustained and selective attention, memory, cognitive functions, and rule deduction. Each VRCTI session comprised 12 different tasks with different difficulty levels: baseline, intermediate, and advanced. The passive control group received usual care. In this study, sixty older adults (mean age = 80.35) were recruited and randomly assigned to either VR or control groups. Accuracy, error, and repetition rates were measured in each session. Compared to the control group, the VR group improved significantly in the overall cognitive composite score, driven by processing speed, working memory and cognitive domains. The VR group also perceived significant improvements in quality of life. Our results show that VRCTI can improve cognitive function and quality of life. When this pragmatic and effective intervention is implemented jointly with regular health care for older adults, it can be an adequate supplement strategy in maintaining cognitive health and protecting against cognitive decline for cognitively impaired older adults.