scholarly journals Simultaneous Exercise and Cognitive Training in Virtual Reality Phase 2 Pilot Study: Impact on Brain Health and Cognition in Older Adults

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-3
Author(s):  
Ashwin Sakhare ◽  
Joy Stradford ◽  
Roshan Ravichandran ◽  
Rong Deng ◽  
Julissa Ruiz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Pilot Study ◽  
Cognitive Training ◽  
Phase 2 ◽  
Brain Health

scholarly journals Simultaneous Exercise and Cognitive Training in Virtual Reality Phase 2 Pilot Study: Impact on Brain Health and Cognition in Older Adults

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-20
Author(s):  
Ashwin Sakhare ◽  
Joy Stradford ◽  
Roshan Ravichandran ◽  
Rong Deng ◽  
Julissa Ruiz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Pilot Study ◽  
Cognitive Training ◽  
Vascular Resistance ◽  
Effect Sizes ◽  
Medium Effect ◽  
Phase 2 ◽  
Brain Health ◽  
The Impact

Background: Aerobic exercise and environmental enrichment have been shown to enhance brain function. Virtual reality (VR) is a promising method for combining these activities in a meaningful and ecologically valid way. Objective: The purpose of this Phase 2 pilot study was to calculate relative change and effect sizes to assess the impact of simultaneous exercise and cognitive training in VR on brain health and cognition in older adults. Methods: Twelve cognitively normal older adults (64.7±8.8 years old, 8 female) participated in a 12-week intervention, 3 sessions/week for 25–50 minutes/session at 50–80%HRmax. Participants cycled on a custom-built stationary exercise bike while wearing a VR head-mounted display and navigating novel virtual environments to train spatial memory. Brain and cognitive changes were assessed using MRI imaging and a cognitive battery. Results: Medium effect size (ES) improvements in cerebral flow and brain structure were observed. Pulsatility, a measure of peripheral vascular resistance, decreased 10.5%(ES(d) = 0.47). Total grey matter volume increased 0.73%(ES(r) = 0.38), while thickness of the superior parietal lobule, a region associated with spatial orientation, increased 0.44%(ES(r) = 0.30). Visual memory discrimination related to pattern separation showed a large improvement of 68%(ES(ηp2) = 0.43). Cognitive flexibility (Trail Making Test B) (ES(r) = 0.42) and response inhibition (ES(W) = 0.54) showed medium improvements of 14%and 34%, respectively. Conclusions: Twelve weeks of simultaneous exercise and cognitive training in VR elicits positive changes in brain volume, vascular resistance, memory, and executive function with moderate-to-large effect sizes in our pilot study.

Effects of virtual reality-based spatial cognitive training on hippocampal function of older adults with mild cognitive impairment

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Jin-Hyuck Park
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Mild Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Episodic Memory ◽  
Spatial Cognition ◽  
Cognitive Training ◽  
Verbal Learning ◽  
Cognitive Intervention ◽  
Hippocampal Function

ABSTRACT Background: To date, there is a controversy on effects of cognitive intervention to maintain or improve hippocampal function for older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Objective: The main objective of this study was to exam effects of virtual reality-based spatial cognitive training (VR-SCT) using VR on hippocampal function of older adults with MCI. Method: Fifty-six older adults with MCI were randomly allocated to the experimental group (EG) that received the VR-SCT or the waitlist control group (CG) for a total of 24 sessions. To investigate effects of the VR-SCT on spatial cognition and episodic memory, the Weschsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised Block Design Test (WAIS-BDT) and the Seoul Verbal Learning Test (SVLT) were used. Results: During the sessions, the training performances gradually increased (p < .001). After the intervention, the EG showed significant greater improvements in the WAIS-BDT (p < .001, η2 = .667) and recall of the SVLT (p < .05, η2 =.094) compared to the CG but in recognition of the SVLT (p > .05, η2 =.001). Conclusion: These results suggest that the VR-SCT might be clinically beneficial to enhance spatial cognition and episodic memory of older adults with MCI.

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