The Effects of Acute Exercise and Virtual Reality Tasks on Children’s Memory Function and Exercise Preference

Abstract

Background: It is well established that regular participation in exercise and virtual reality (VR) environments are important tools for improving or maintaining human health and cognitive function. Objectives: This study examined the effects of acute exercise and VR environments on children’s memory function and exercise preference (i.e. cycling with or without the use of VR technology). Methods: Α 2×3 factorial design was adopted with two measures (pre, post) and three study groups. Forty-five healthy children aged 9 to 13 years (Mage = 10.91±1.24 years) voluntarily participated in the study. Participants were randomly assigned into three groups receiving different treatment: (1) an exercise+VR group that cycled for 15 min in a VR environment (forest path) combined with basic mathematical problem-solving tasks, (2) an exercise group that cycled for 15 min, and (3) a no-exercise group that sat in a specific place in a lab for 15 min (the control group). Before and after the acute exercise, all the groups completed the Sternberg Memory Task. Upon completion of the intervention, the two exercise groups completed measures of enjoyment, intention and attitudes towards cycling. The exercise+VR group also completed a scale capturing the VR’s usability. Results: The results show that the exercise group scored higher on Sternberg’s Memory Task (p .05) after the acute exercise treatment (post) than before it (pre). Similarly, the exercise+VR participants scored higher on the post-intervention memory task than did the exercise and control groups (p .05). Moreover, the exercise+VR group reported higher scores on enjoyment, intention and attitude towards cycling than the exercise group, but this difference was not statistically significant (p .05). Finally, the exercise+VR participants recorded high scores on the usability of the VR system during the acute exercise programme. Conclusions: These findings are in line with those of previous studies, underlining the important roles of exercise and VR environments on youths’ cognitive function.

Using virtual reality-based physical activity to change the mental health and cognitive function of karate athletes

“…Other research also confirmed that virtual reality physical activity had a positive effect on cognitive function in adults [39]. Krommidas et al [52], reported similar results, virtual reality-based physical activity had a higher score than the control group in developing cognitive function in children. In addition, according to Bauer & Andringa [65], virtual reality was an effective form of cognitive training for providing an immersive and interactive environment with real simulations which was suggested as a tool in improving cognitive function.…”

“…Participants were recruited randomly, in the first stage the researchers sent invitation letters to athletes and got positive response from all athletes, in the second stage they were required to create and sign a letter of willingness to participate in this study. Researchers used G Power analysis to calculate the required sample size in this study and the result was a of 15 athletes in each group [52]. After fulfilled the sample size criteria, the athletes were allocated to the experimental group which received a virtual realitybased physical exercise program (n=15, mean±SD: age = 14.13±0.6 years, weight = 44.60±3.3 kg, height= 1.34±0.8 cm) and the control group (n=15, mean±SD: age= 13.80±0.8 years, weight= 43.60±2.7 kg, height= 1.32±0.9 cm).…”

Exploring the Acute Effects of Immersive Virtual Reality Biking on Self-Efficacy and Attention of Individuals in the Treatment of Substance Use Disorders: A Feasibility Study

“…According to the results of a study, that examined the effects of acute VR exercise combined with cognitive tasks on children's memory and exercise preference, children who experienced VR exercise noted higher scores in memory tests compared with children who experienced a traditional cycling session and control group. Additionally, children showed high levels of enjoyment, intention for future use, and attitudes toward cycling in a VR environment [28]. Acute VR exergaming can also lead to mood improvement according to Ochi et al (2022) [33].…”

“…VR exercise combined with cognitive tasks, according to another study, appeared to be appropriate and had positive effects even in people with mild cognitive impairment [27]. Additionally, recent research by Krommidas et al (2022) [28] has highlighted the potential of acute exercise and virtual reality tasks to positively impact children's memory function and exercise preference, providing valuable insights into the broader applications of VR-based exercise interventions. VR environments are also a reliable way for providing information about addictive disorders, such as the desire to use, and can influence emotional state, attention, and cognitive function [29].…”

Development and Usability of a Prototype Upper Extremities Lever-Driven Exercise System

“…It is important to mention that all the above-mentioned instruments have already been translated into the Greek language and have been used previously in studies with a Greek population [31][32][33].…”