Virtual Reality in Cognitive Stimulation Therapy for Visually Impaired Older Individuals with Dementia

NCT ID: NCT06793384

Last Updated: 2025-01-27

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 31 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2019-09-01
• Study Completion Date: 2020-05-31

Brief Summary

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.

Conditions

Dementia Patients

Study Design

• Allocation Method: NON_RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: TREATMENT
• Blinding Strategy: NONE

Study Groups

Conventional CST group

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.

Group Type: ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Conventional Cognitive Stimulation Therapy (Conventional CST)

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

In the conventional CST group, 2-dimensional images/videos illustrating content identical to the VR-CST condition were displayed via tablet computers (see Table 2 for details) in which participants could manipulate the size of the image depicted or the pace of the videos with the help of the facilitator/therapy assistant.

VR-CST

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.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Virtual reality based Cognitive Stimulation Therapy (VR-CST)

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

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. Such a situation occurred in Session 5 (current affairs), in which news clips or captions from newspaper websites served as more appropriate content for discussion than self-created panoramic images/videos.

Interventions

Virtual reality based Cognitive Stimulation Therapy (VR-CST)

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. Such a situation occurred in Session 5 (current affairs), in which news clips or captions from newspaper websites served as more appropriate content for discussion than self-created panoramic images/videos.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Conventional Cognitive Stimulation Therapy (Conventional CST)

In the conventional CST group, 2-dimensional images/videos illustrating content identical to the VR-CST condition were displayed via tablet computers (see Table 2 for details) in which participants could manipulate the size of the image depicted or the pace of the videos with the help of the facilitator/therapy assistant.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

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

• Minimum Eligible Age: 60 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Sponsors

The University of Hong Kong

OTHER

Sponsor Role: collaborator

The Hong Kong Society for the Blind

UNKNOWN

Sponsor Role: collaborator

Tung Wah College

OTHER

Sponsor Role: collaborator

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Responsibility Role: SPONSOR

Locations

The Hong Kong Society for the Blind

Hong Kong, , Hong Kong

Countries

Hong Kong

Other Identifiers

EA240610

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id