Abstract
The present study examined whether a culture-based virtual reality (VR) training program is feasible and tolerable for patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI), and whether it could improve cognitive function in these patients. Twenty-one outpatients with aMCI were randomized to either the VR-based training group or the control group in a 1:1 ratio. The VR-based training group participated in training for 30 min/day, two days/week, for three months (24 times). The VR-based program was designed based on Korean traditional culture and used attention, processing speed, executive function and memory conditions to stimulate cognitive function. The adherence to the culture-based VR training program was 91.55% ± 6.41% in the VR group. The only adverse events observed in the VR group were dizziness (4.2%) and fatigue (8.3%). Analysis revealed that the VR-based training group exhibited no significant differences following the three-month VR program in Korean Mini-Mental State Examination (K-MMSE) scores, working memory functions such as performance on the digit span test, or in Stroop test performance and word fluency. We conclude that although the 12-week culture-based VR training program did not improve cognitive function, our findings revealed that the culture-based VR training program was feasible and tolerable for participants with aMCI.
Highlights
Amnestic mild cognitive impairment is a condition of declined cognitive function that might indicate the early phases of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) or other dementias [1]
This study fills a research gap, and is the first that uses a clinical setting to examine the effect of culture-based virtual reality (VR) training programs on different domains of cognitive function, and their tolerability in patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment
Our findings showed that the 12-week culture-based VR training program did not improve different domains of cognitive function
Summary
Patients aged between 50 and 80 years with a diagnosis of amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) were eligible in the present study. Based on the operationalized Petersen aMCI criteria [1], the inclusion criteria were as follows: Normal mental status: A MMSE score of more than 1.5 Standard Deviations (SD) below age- and education-adjusted normative means [12,13]. Memory complaint: A subjective memory complaint that was confirmed by an informant. Impaired memory: A delayed recall score on the Seoul Verbal Learning test < 1 SD below ageand education-adjusted normative means [14,15]. Not demented: A Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) scale of
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