Immersive Video Games for Cognitive Impairment (Quest-Tablet Trial)
Recruiting in Palo Alto (17 mi)
Overseen ByPeter E Wais, PhD
Age: 18+
Sex: Any
Travel: May be covered
Time Reimbursement: Varies
Trial Phase: Academic
Recruiting
Sponsor: University of California, San Francisco
Trial Summary
What is the purpose of this trial?Therapeutic treatment is yet available for declining memory, which is an impairment affecting the quality of life for many older adults and patients with cognitive impairment. Cognitive training with an immersive video game promises to drive hippocampal-cortical plasticity and associated gains that can restore memory capability or provide therapeutic treatment for memory deficits.
Is the immersive video game treatment generally safe for humans?
The research does not provide specific safety data for the immersive video game treatment, but it has been used in studies with older adults and individuals at risk for cognitive impairment without reported safety concerns.
12378Will I have to stop taking my current medications?
If you are taking psychotropic medications (drugs that affect your mind, emotions, or behavior), you will need to stop taking them to participate in this trial.
How is the Wayfinding Intervention treatment unique for cognitive impairment?
The Wayfinding Intervention treatment is unique because it uses immersive virtual reality (VR) games to improve memory and cognitive skills by engaging users in spatial navigation tasks, which is different from traditional cognitive therapies that do not typically use VR technology.
345810What data supports the effectiveness of the treatment Wayfinding Intervention for cognitive impairment?
Research shows that a virtual reality wayfinding game, similar to the treatment, improved memory in older adults and helped a person with Alzheimer's disease improve navigation skills in daily life. This suggests that the treatment could be beneficial for cognitive impairment by enhancing memory and navigation abilities.
15689Eligibility Criteria
This trial is for older adults with memory issues or mild cognitive impairment. Participants must have good vision (with glasses if needed), be fluent in English, have completed at least 12 years of education, and be able to operate a response box. They should also be physically able to take brisk walks and not have conditions that make fMRI scans unsafe.Participant Groups
The study tests whether immersive video games can improve memory by changing brain activity. It uses LabyrinthVR software and other similar tools compared against placebo games to see if they can help restore memory functions or provide therapeutic benefits.
4Treatment groups
Experimental Treatment
Placebo Group
Group I: LabyrinthVR ScootExperimental Treatment1 Intervention
Multi-session cognitive intervention with VIVE high-resolution head-mounted display virtual reality computer game that presents an adaptive spatial wayfinding challenge. Game movement via handheld controllers.
Group II: Labyrinth VR wirelessExperimental Treatment1 Intervention
Multi-session cognitive intervention with QUEST head-mounted display virtual reality computer game using wireless technology to present an adaptive spatial wayfinding challenge. Game movement via handheld controllers.
Group III: Labyrinth TabletExperimental Treatment1 Intervention
Multi-session cognitive intervention with tablet computer, displaying 2.5D version of Labyrinth game in an adaptive spatial wayfinding challenge. Game movement via on-screen control buttons.
Group IV: Placebo ControlsPlacebo Group1 Intervention
Multi-session cognitive intervention with handheld tablet or wireless virtual reality headset presentation of commercially available, narrative computer games.
Find A Clinic Near You
Research locations nearbySelect from list below to view details:
UCSF Mission BaySan Francisco, CA
Loading ...
Who is running the clinical trial?
University of California, San FranciscoLead Sponsor
References
Detecting navigational deficits in cognitive aging and Alzheimer disease using virtual reality. [2022]Older adults get lost, in many cases because of recognized or incipient Alzheimer disease (AD). In either case, getting lost can be a threat to individual and public safety, as well as to personal autonomy and quality of life. Here we compare our previously described real-world navigation test with a virtual reality (VR) version simulating the same navigational environment.
Navigation in smart environments using mediated reality tools. [2009]Topographical Disorientation (TD) is the lack or loss of orientation and navigation abilities. People living with TD face functional challenges in everyday situations. Smart mediated reality environments present potential solutions for cognitive conditions like TD. In this article, we introduce a novel mediated reality location aware environment. It was hypothesized that tools which offer different positional information affect the navigation performance of a user. The objective of this study was to investigate preferred assistive tools for indoor navigation for use in a proposed mediated reality wayfinding system. These tools may eventually be used to assist patients with TD. To this purpose, we designed a novel wayfinding metric that can be used in the assessment of navigation tasks similar to a scavenger hunt. This novel metric is based on a relative energy expenditure ratio and is independent of navigation route complexity. We investigated four sets of tools (minimap, locator, coordinate display and routing compass) that can be used in a smart mediated reality environment to provide relevant wayfinding information. These tools were designed using different combinations of spatial knowledge (landmark, route or survey), graphical presentation (compass, text, icon, top/side view) and reference frames (egocentric or allocentric). Each tool was evaluated objectively and subjectively. The locator and minimap tools emerged as preferred interfaces, providing the most relevant wayfinding information while minimizing energy expenditure during navigation tasks.
Virtual reality in neurologic rehabilitation of spatial disorientation. [2021]Topographical disorientation (TD) is a severe and persistent impairment of spatial orientation and navigation in familiar as well as new environments and a common consequence of brain damage. Virtual reality (VR) provides a new tool for the assessment and rehabilitation of TD. In VR training programs different degrees of active motor control over navigation may be implemented (i.e. more passive spatial navigation vs. more active). Increasing demands of active motor control may overload those visuo-spatial resources necessary for learning spatial orientation and navigation. In the present study we used a VR-based verbally-guided passive navigation training program to improve general spatial abilities in neurologic patients with spatial disorientation.
Using virtual reality for cognitive training of the elderly. [2022]There is a pressing demand for improving the quality and efficacy of health care and social support services needed by the world's growing elderly population, especially by those affected by mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer's disease (AD)-type early-stage dementia. Meeting that demand can significantly benefit from the deployment of innovative, computer-based applications capable of addressing specific needs, particularly in the area of cognitive impairment mitigation and rehabilitation. In that context, we present here our perspective viewpoint on the use of virtual reality (VR) tools for cognitive rehabilitation training, intended to assist medical personnel, health care workers, and other caregivers in improving the quality of daily life activities of people with MCI and AD. We discuss some effective design criteria and developmental strategies and suggest some possibly useful protocols and procedures. The particular innovative supportive advantages offered by the immersive interactive characteristics inherent to VR technology are discussed.
Neurocognitive Treatment for a Patient with Alzheimer's Disease Using a Virtual Reality Navigational Environment. [2020]In this case study, a man at the onset of Alzheimer's disease (AD) was enrolled in a cognitive treatment program based upon spatial navigation in a virtual reality (VR) environment. We trained him to navigate to targets in a symmetric, landmark-less virtual building. Our research goals were to determine whether an individual with AD could learn to navigate in a simple VR navigation (VRN) environment and whether that training could also bring real-life cognitive benefits. The results show that our participant learned to perfectly navigate to desired targets in the VRN environment over the course of the training program. Furthermore, subjective feedback from his primary caregiver (his wife) indicated that his skill at navigating while driving improved noticeably and that he enjoyed cognitive improvement in his daily life at home. These results suggest that VRN treatments might benefit other people with AD.
Salient Cues and Wayfinding in Alzheimer's Disease within a Virtual Senior Residence. [2019]Wayfinding is a problem for persons with Alzheimer's disease (AD), especially in complex environments such as senior residential communities. In this study, persons with AD or mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and a control group of older adults were asked to navigate a virtual reality simulation of a senior residential community. Subjects had to find their way repeatedly over multiple trials for two consecutive days in standard (no extra cues) and salient (colorful, memorable cues placed at key decision points) cue conditions. The results showed that all subjects found their way faster and more effectively in the salient cue condition than in the standard cue condition. Those in the AD/MCI group were significantly more impaired in wayfinding ability compared with those in the control group. Persons with impaired wayfinding ability due to AD and MCI can find their way more effectively in virtual environments enhanced with salient environmental cues.
Effects of Traditional vs. iPad-Enhanced Aerobic Exercise on Wayfinding Efficacy and Cognition: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial. [2020]The purpose of this pilot study was to test the feasibility and efficacy of an iPad-enhanced aerobic exercise intervention designed to enhance wayfinding efficacy and performance and relevant cognitive functioning among middle-aged adults at risk for cognitive impairment. Twenty-seven low active adults (21 females) aged 45 to 62 years (51.22 ± 5.20) participated in a ten-week randomized controlled trial. Participants were randomized to an iPad-enhanced aerobic exercise group (experimental group) or an aerobic exercise-only group (control group) following baseline assessment. Both groups exercised at 50% to 75% of age-predicted heart rate maximum for 30 to 50 min/d, 2 d/wk for 10 weeks. During aerobic exercise, the experimental group engaged in virtual tours delivered via iPad. Baseline and post-intervention assessments of wayfinding self-efficacy, wayfinding task performance, cognitive functioning, electroencephalogram (EEG), and psychosocial questionnaires were administered. The results suggest that ten weeks of iPad-enhanced, moderately intense aerobic exercise had specific effects on wayfinding self-efficacy; however, no statistical differences were found between groups on the behavioral wayfinding task or spatial memory performance at follow-up. Performance scores on an inhibitory attentional-control cognitive assessment revealed significant differences between groups, favoring the experimental group (p < 0.05). Virtual reality-enhanced aerobic exercise may prove to be an effective method for improving cognitive function and increasing confidence to navigate real-world scenarios among individuals at risk of cognitive impairment.
Virtual reality video game improves high-fidelity memory in older adults. [2021]Therapeutic interventions have not yet been shown to demonstrate restorative effects for declining long-term memory (LTM) that affects many healthy older adults. We developed a virtual reality (VR) spatial wayfinding game (Labyrinth-VR) as a cognitive intervention with the hypothesis that it could improve detailed, high-fidelity LTM capability. Spatial navigation tasks have been used as a means to achieve environmental enrichment via exposure to and learning about novel and complex information. Engagement has been shown to enhance learning and has been linked to the vitality of the LTM system in the brain. In the current study, 48 older adults (mean age 68.7 ± 6.4 years) with average cognitive abilities for their age were randomly assigned to 12 h of computer game play over four weeks in either the Labyrinth-VR or placebo control game arms. Promptly before and after each participant's treatment regimen, high-fidelity LTM outcome measures were tested to assess mnemonic discrimination and other memory measures. The results showed a post-treatment gain in high-fidelity LTM capability for the Labyrinth-VR arm, relative to placebo, which reached the levels attained by younger adults in another experiment. This novel finding demonstrates generalization of benefits from the VR wayfinding game to important, and untrained, LTM capabilities. These cognitive results are discussed in the light of relevant research for hippocampal-dependent memory functions.
Egocentric spatial orientation differences between Alzheimer's disease at early stages and mild cognitive impairment: a diagnostic aid. [2022]Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a growing global crisis. Egocentric spatial orientation deteriorates with age and more significantly with AD. A simple and quick virtual reality (VR) localization and target finding technique is presented as a diagnostic aid to screen mild cognitive impairment (MCI) from AD. Spatial orientation data from 93 individuals (65 AD at a mild stage, 20 MCI, and 8 other dementia types) based on VR localization of a target on a landmark-less cubic 3-story building were analyzed. We hypothesize AD and MCI groups' performances are significantly different. AD and MCI spatial performances were statistically significantly (p
Immersive Virtual Reality Exergames for Persons Living With Dementia: User-Centered Design Study as a Multistakeholder Team During the COVID-19 Pandemic. [2022]Advancements in supporting personalized health care and well-being using virtual reality (VR) have created opportunities to use immersive games to support a healthy lifestyle for persons living with dementia and mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Collaboratively designing exercise video games (exergames) as a multistakeholder team is fundamental to creating games that are attractive, effective, and accessible.