Immersive Virtual Reality for Dual-task Training in Older Adults With Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Tan Tock Seng Hospital

Status: Enrolling

Conditions: Mild Cognitive Impairment

Treatments: Other: Motor single task training (MSTT); Other: Cognitive single task training (CSTT); Other: Cognitive-motor dual task training (DTT)

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT05730790

2020/00262

Details and patient eligibility

About

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a pre-dementia state marked by a higher risk of conversion to dementia. Presently, strategies to delay the progression of MCI to dementia, such as routine exercise and cognitive activities, are limited and only moderately efficacious. Cognitive-motor dual task training, enhanced in a virtual reality environment, is a novel intervention for individuals with MCI.

Full description

A randomized controlled trial will be conducted. 54 patients with MCI will be recruited from an outpatient clinic. The participants will be randomly allocated to one of the three study arms. All three groups will participate in 2 training sessions per week for 7 weeks. Each session lasts 32 to 40 minutes.

Enrollment: 54 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 60 to 80 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Age 60 - 80 years of age
• Diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment (MCI)
• Able to walk independently without assistance, whether from a person or a walking aid

Exclusion criteria

• Diagnosed dementia (at the point of recruitment)
• Presence of end stage lung, cardiac, liver and/or renal disease
• Unstable acute medical conditions that prevent one from exercising on a treadmill
• Presence of active arthritis, with symptoms affecting function
• Cerebrovascular and/or cardiac events in the last 6 months
• Parkinson's disease
• History of hip fracture within the last 6 months
• History of epilepsy with seizures in the last 2 years
• Poor vision, not correctable by glasses
• Hearing difficulty (if unable to hear well at normal conversational volume)
• Acute backache with pain affecting ambulation
• Acute lower limb pain with pain affecting ambulation
• Cervical spondylosis with myelopathy or cervical spine issues
• Chronic vertigo
• Vestibular problems, causing issues with balance

Trial design

Primary purpose: Prevention

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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54 participants in 3 patient groups

Cognitive-motor dual task training (DTT)

Experimental group

Description:

Participants attended 14 sessions (40 minutes each) of dual task cognitive-motor training, 2 times per week for 7 weeks. Each cognitive-motor training session comprised of performing a dual task activity - gameplay using a virtual reality (VR) system while walking on a treadmill, of progressive difficulty pitched to the participant's performance.

Treatment:

Other: Cognitive-motor dual task training (DTT)

Cognitive single task training (CSTT)

Active Comparator group

Description:

Participants attended 14 sessions (32 minutes each) of single task cognitive training, 2 times per week for 7 weeks. Each cognitive training session comprised of game play using a virtual reality (VR) system, of progressive difficulty pitched to the participant's performance

Treatment:

Other: Cognitive single task training (CSTT)

Motor single task training (MSTT)

Active Comparator group

Description:

Participants attended 14 sessions (40 minutes each) of single task motor training over a period of 7 weeks. Each motor training session comprised of walking on a treadmill, of progressive difficulty pitched to the participant's performance

Treatment:

Other: Motor single task training (MSTT)