Effectiveness of Virtual Reality Systems to Improve the Activities of Daily Life in Older People

Abstract

(1) This review aims to evaluate the effectiveness of treatments with virtual reality systems (VRSs) on the functional autonomy of older adults versus conventional treatment. (3) Methods: Systematic review and meta-analysis. An electronic data search was carried out, following the PRISMA statement, up to February 2020. We combined results from clinical trials using VRSs for the improvement of basic and instrumental activities of daily living. The guidelines of the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions were followed for calculations and risk of bias. The Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) was used to assess the quality of evidence. (4) Results: The final analysis included 23 studies with a population of 1595 participants. A moderate, but clinically significant, effect was found for basic activities of daily living (BADLs), (Standard Medium Deviation, SMD 0.61; 95% CI: −0.15–1.37; P < 0.001). A small effect was found for instrumental ADLs (Instrumental Activities of daily living, IADLs) (SMD −0.34; 95% CI: −0.82–0.15; P < 0.001). Functional ambulation was the BADL which improved the most (SMD −0.63; 95% CI: −0.86, −0.40; P < 0.001). (5) Conclusion: The use of VRSs is an innovative and feasible technique to support and improve the functional autonomy of community-dwelling older adults. Due to the very low quality of the evidence for our main outcomes, the effects of a VRS on the BADLs and IADLs are uncertain. Clinical trials of a higher methodological quality are necessary to increase the level of knowledge of its actual effectiveness.

Feasibility, Acceptability, and Efficacy of Virtual Reality Training for Older Adults and People With Disabilities: Single-Arm Pre-Post Study

“…With successful modifications, VR training provides these users the opportunity to engage in motivational training with many repetitions, salient stimuli, and challenging tasks [ 1 ]. Examples of VR training, particularly those with a rehabilitation purpose, are well documented in different populations, such as adults with stroke [ 2 ], community-dwelling older adults [ 3 ], people living with dementia and mild cognitive impairment [ 4 ], and children with cerebral palsy and Down syndrome [ 5 ].…”

Acceptance of a Virtual Reality Headset Designed for Fall Prevention in Older Adults: Questionnaire Study

“…These programs based on virtual environments provide more realistic/ecological stimulations of physical, cognitive, and sensory resources [ 16 ], thereby helping to improve adaptive behavior and prevent falls during daily living tasks [ 11 , 12 , 17 ]. Even if they pursue the same goal (ie, the development of adaptive behaviors), these programs differ from each other in several aspects, including the technological supports (eg, VR helmet versus projection screen), proposed procedure (more or fewer trials distributed over a longer or shorter period), and tasks used to optimize adaptive capacities [ 18 ]. It is therefore not surprising that the results obtained in these studies are sometimes different or even contradictory, and it’s often not possible to determine the precise cause of the conflicting results.…”

The Use of Virtual and Augmented Reality by Older Adults: Potentials and Challenges

“…• Health: The use of VR and AR in health promotion, such as psychotherapy and rehabilitation, can help to maintain health and well-being in older adults. The tools can contribute to maintaining older adults' motor abilities, fitness, cognition, balance, and memory (García-Betances et al, 2015;Corregidor-Sánchez et al, 2020;Gao et al, 2020). Moreover, VR intervention programs can be used to train cognitive and physical functions in older adults with mild cognitive impairments (D'Cunha et al, 2019;Thapa et al, 2020).…”