Effect of Individual Virtual Reality Cognitive Training Programs on Cognitive Function and Depression in Middle-Aged Women: Randomized Controlled Trial

Background:Given the increasing incidence of early-onset Alzheimer disease, strategies for early diagnosis and swift treatment interventions are crucial for mitigating cognitive problems in women and middle-aged individuals who face a high risk of cognitive impairment.Objective:This study aimed to a...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:JMIR mental health 2023-10, Vol.10, p.e48912-e48912
Main Authors: Kim, Du-Ri, Moon, EunSoo, Shin, Myung-Jun, Yang, Yeong-Ae, Park, Jong-Hwan
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Activities of daily living
Cognitive ability
Dementia
Disease
Executive function
Geriatrics
Memory
Mental depression
Middle age
Original Paper
Training
Virtual reality
Womens health
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Summary:Background:Given the increasing incidence of early-onset Alzheimer disease, strategies for early diagnosis and swift treatment interventions are crucial for mitigating cognitive problems in women and middle-aged individuals who face a high risk of cognitive impairment.Objective:This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of individual cognitive training programs based on virtual reality (VR), a nonpharmacological intervention, on cognitive function and depression in middle-aged women at risk of cognitive impairment. It used VR technology, which has recently been recognized as a promising tool.Methods:We administered a VR-based cognitive training program for 30 minutes daily, twice a week, for 12 weeks (24 sessions). This study included middle-aged women residing in older adults’ welfare facilities in G-gu, Busan, from May to August 2021. A total of 60 participants were randomly divided into the training (n=30) and control (n=30) groups. Cognitive and depressive functions were assessed using the Korean versions of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (K-MoCA), Digit Span Test (DST), Korean-Color Word Stroop Test (K-CWST), and Short Form of the Geriatric Depression Scale (SGDS-K) before the intervention. The training group underwent a VR-based cognitive training program, whereas the control group was educated to maintain regular daily activities. The same assessments were performed 12 weeks after treatment.Results:A comparison of the mean scores before and after K-MoCA in the training group revealed a significant increase from 24.87 (SD 2.62) to 27.50 (SD 1.70; P
ISSN:2368-7959
2368-7959
DOI:10.2196/48912