Use of a Virtual Environment to Engage Motor and Postural Abilities in Elderly Subjects With and Without Mild Cognitive Impairment (MAAMI Project)

Abstract

International audienceObjectives: In the context of rehabilitation, the use of new technology such as Virtual Reality Technology (VRT) offers multiple possibilities to modulate the functional stimulation of subjects according to needs.Material and methods: In this study, the validity and reliability of our VRT system were investigated in fifteen healthy aged adults (HAA) and seven aged subjects with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). One implicit session was designed through two virtual environments (VEs) in order to induce the adapted activities associated with balance and postural control. In comparison, the same activities were achieved in explicit sessions with a physiotherapist. This cross-over study made use of a qualitative method to collect participants' feelings in both implicit and explicit sessions.Results: The results allowed us to validate the embedded technologies in our system and also the VE features for MCI subjects and their healthy counterparts. The analysis of participants' feelings showed that implicit tasks were preferred to explicit ones.Conclusion: This study highlighted that the use of VRT generated a competitive spirit in all participants. This point underlines the major role of reward motivation in motor learning processes in rehabilitation

Use of Immersive Virtual Reality in the Assessment and Treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease: A Systematic Review

“…iVR offers distinct advantages for research and therapy reliant on movement and engagement in physical space. Where they were asked, patient groups reported enjoying iVR and this may contribute to therapeutic advantage [39,42]. iVR also has the potential advantage of rich and meaningful outcome measures such as IADLs and navigation.…”

“…This systematic review shows the field of iVR for the assessment and treatment of AD is starting to step out its infancy. Participants found iVR tasks demanding but were able to participate and reported enjoying the tasks and interfaces [35,39]. The intuitive nature of the technology makes it very appealing even to those with a significant burden of disease.…”

“…It is less clear whether iVR can offer any specific cognitive benefits, but potential has been demonstrated to use iVR to facilitate broader physical and vestibular rehabilitation [39,42]. As patients with AD often find it difficult to engage with repetitive activities as part of physical therapy, it is useful to note that iVR can facilitate such treatment.…”

“…The four eligible studies are summarized below. Full details are shown in Bourellier et al [39] This validation study assessed the use of an iVR training environment for participants with MCI (n = 7) versus matched controls (n = 14) in comparison to a usual physiotherapy task. The iVR task used a CAVE system object sorting task which required large movements of the body, this was compared to a standard physiotherapy session practicing similar movements over a single session.…”

“…Despite lack of significant therapeutic benefit, participants with AD and MCI reported enjoying treatment tasks. These ranged from fruit picking as an alternative to standard physiotherapy [39] to car racing for vestibular rehabilitation [42] and simulated navigation tasks [40,41]. Increased engagement should be considered a positive factor in designing training system for participants with cognitive deficits.…”