Application of VR-based Working Memory Screening Test

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Status: Unknown

Conditions: Older Adults With Non-communicable Diseases; Older Adults With Mild Neurocognitive Disorders; Healthy Age-matched Older Adults

Treatments: Other: no intervention

Study type: Observational

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT04600726

VR_Clinical Trial

Details and patient eligibility

About

We propose to validate an interactive, immersive spatial memory test from the laboratory test. This VR-based working memory test (VRWMT) is a first-person, self-pacing game embedded within a virtual reality environment, the program is easily implemented with minimal instructions and no supervision that can be community-users friendly. It is specifically designed to assess rapid spatial working memory - a common deficit in all NCD subtypes. Its ability to detect pathological models of dementia, age-related deterioration, and hippocampal dysfunction are well established in literature

Full description

The proposed research aims to study the ability of VRWMT to discriminate between older adults with known mild NCD, healthy age-matched older adults and participants with non-communicable diseases and to predict their deterioration in cognitive function over a period of 12 months. Moreover, this study is to characterize and evaluate any concurrent validity between emergence of deterioration in the VRWMT and clinical tools of functional performance in older adults. Additionally, the potential of inflammatory and metabolic dysregulation biomarkers to increase our ability to detect early NCD risk over and above the predictive validity of the VRWMT. The study findings will bring both social and clinical significance to ageing and NCD research. The combination of behavioural and biomarkers of pathological significance offers an innovative approach that potentially addresses the limitations intrinsic to either measure alone.

Enrollment: 160 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 65 to 80 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• the ability to understand verbal and written Chinese instructions
• the ability and willingness to provide informed consent and sign the relevant document.

Exclusion criteria

• a history of substance abuse including alcohol, drugs, or any medication/substances indicative of chronic abuse;
• participants with major NCD.

Trial design

160 participants in 3 patient groups

older adults with known mild NCD

Description:

Older adults with known mild neuro-cognitive disorders

Treatment:

Other: no intervention

older adults with non-communicable diseases

Description:

older adults with non-communicable diseases such as diabetics, hypertension and chronic obstructive airway diseases

Treatment:

Other: no intervention

Older adults with healthy condition

Description:

Older adults who are free from neuro-cognitive disorders and non-communicable diseases

Treatment:

Other: no intervention