Virtual Reality in Cognitive Stimulation Therapy for Visually Impaired Older Individuals with Dementia (VR-CST-PwDVI)

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Status: Completed

Conditions: Dementia Patients

Treatments: Behavioral: Conventional Cognitive Stimulation Therapy (Conventional CST); Behavioral: Virtual reality based Cognitive Stimulation Therapy (VR-CST)

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT06793384

EA240610

Details and patient eligibility

About

Both visual impairment and dementia are prevalent in the elderly population. Cognitive stimulation therapy (CST) is an evidence-based intervention for people with mild-to-moderate dementia. Virtual reality (VR) has been used in cognitive rehabilitation. However, the efficacy of CST and the feasibility of incorporating VR into therapy targeting people with dementia and visual impairment (PwDVI) have rarely been explored. The current pilot study addressed two issues: 1) To study the efficacy of conventional CST on PwDVI in different cognitive domains and 2) To explore the feasibility and efficacy of VR-CST on PwDVI in various cognitive domains.

Enrollment: 31 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 60+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

1. Cantonese speakers;
2. suspected or having a medical diagnosis of dementia, with the Montreal Cognitive Assessment 5-minute protocol (MoCA-5) score ranging from 2 to 17, which is equal to the Cantonese Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) score ranging from 10 to 24 by using the conversion table from Wong et al,
3. a diagnosis of mild to moderate visual impairment determined by an optometrist,
4. no other disability including physical illness, learning disability and severe hearing impairment that may affect participation in group activity,
5. not currently on psychiatric medication/cognitive intervention, (6) no history of other neurological diseases, and

(7) did not receive any prior CST.

Exclusion criteria

1. currently on psychiatric medication/cognitive intervention, (6) no history of other neurological diseases,
2. currently on psychiatric medication/cognitive intervention, (6) no history of other neurological diseases,
3. prior exposure to CST

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Non-Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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31 participants in 2 patient groups

Conventional CST group

Active Comparator group

Description:

A total 14 sessions of conventional cognitive stimulation therapy (CST) with different themes were delivered twice a week to patients with dementia in groups of four to five. Therapy materials included real objects, pictures and videos presented via iPADs where users can enlarge the images manually or under facilitator's assistancd.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Conventional Cognitive Stimulation Therapy (Conventional CST)

VR-CST

Experimental group

Description:

A total of 14 sessions of virtual reality cognitive stimulation therapy (VR-CST) with different themes were delivered twice a week to patients with dementia in groups of four to five. In the VR-CST condition, participants wore a head-mounted display (HMD; model: DPVR P1 Pro Headset) for the themed activities in every session except sessions 1 and 14. In these two sessions, group physical activities (such as passing a ball from one participant to another) were conducted, so no HMDs were used. In other sessions, panoramic images (e.g., wet market) and videos (e.g., the neighborhood surroundings) prepared by the project team were mainly used, supplemented by 2-dimensional images /videos in which preparing panoramic images/videos was deemed impossible.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Virtual reality based Cognitive Stimulation Therapy (VR-CST)