A Crossover Study of Virtual Reality Exposure for Emotional and Physiological Regulation in Mild Dementia
(1) Background: Immersive virtual reality (IVR) has emerged as a promising non-pharmacological intervention to promote relaxation and improve emotional well-being in this population. (2) Methods: This crossover study evaluated the effects of IVR on anxiety and psychological well-being in a sample of...
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MDPI AG
2025-04-01
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/15/5/470 |
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| author | Paula Latorre Cleiton Pons Ferreira Francisco Nieto-Escamez |
| author_facet | Paula Latorre Cleiton Pons Ferreira Francisco Nieto-Escamez |
| author_sort | Paula Latorre |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | (1) Background: Immersive virtual reality (IVR) has emerged as a promising non-pharmacological intervention to promote relaxation and improve emotional well-being in this population. (2) Methods: This crossover study evaluated the effects of IVR on anxiety and psychological well-being in a sample of eight participants with mild dementia attending a day-care center. Participants underwent two conditions: an experimental condition involving relaxing nature-based VR scenarios (Nature Treks VR) and a control condition using personalized YouTube videos on a tablet. Each condition lasted 12 sessions. Assessments included heart rate (HR), the I-PANAS-SF, the reduced State–Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-r), behavioral observations, and a subjective response questionnaire. (3) Results: A significant reduction in HR over time was found during IVR exposure, suggesting a calming physiological effect not observed in the control condition. While changes in PANAS and STAI-r scores were not statistically significant, the PANAS score improvement in the experimental condition approached statistical significance (<i>p</i> = 0.054) and was just below the minimal clinically important difference (MCID), suggesting a potentially meaningful trend. Behavioral responses were higher during YouTube sessions, likely due to personalized content. All participants rated the IVR experience positively on the subjective questionnaire, indicating high acceptability, though social desirability bias cannot be excluded. (4) Conclusions: IVR appears to be a feasible and acceptable intervention for individuals with dementia, warranting further investigation. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-2fb5e5b45a6b4a9b9c73b90e8b42bfce |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2076-3425 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-04-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
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| series | Brain Sciences |
| spelling | doaj-art-2fb5e5b45a6b4a9b9c73b90e8b42bfce2025-08-20T02:33:38ZengMDPI AGBrain Sciences2076-34252025-04-0115547010.3390/brainsci15050470A Crossover Study of Virtual Reality Exposure for Emotional and Physiological Regulation in Mild DementiaPaula Latorre0Cleiton Pons Ferreira1Francisco Nieto-Escamez2CIBIS Research Center (Centro de Investigación para el Bienestar y la Inclusión Social), University of Almeria, 04120 Almería, SpainInstituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia do Rio Grande do Sul, Rio Grande 96201-460, BrazilCIBIS Research Center (Centro de Investigación para el Bienestar y la Inclusión Social), University of Almeria, 04120 Almería, Spain(1) Background: Immersive virtual reality (IVR) has emerged as a promising non-pharmacological intervention to promote relaxation and improve emotional well-being in this population. (2) Methods: This crossover study evaluated the effects of IVR on anxiety and psychological well-being in a sample of eight participants with mild dementia attending a day-care center. Participants underwent two conditions: an experimental condition involving relaxing nature-based VR scenarios (Nature Treks VR) and a control condition using personalized YouTube videos on a tablet. Each condition lasted 12 sessions. Assessments included heart rate (HR), the I-PANAS-SF, the reduced State–Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-r), behavioral observations, and a subjective response questionnaire. (3) Results: A significant reduction in HR over time was found during IVR exposure, suggesting a calming physiological effect not observed in the control condition. While changes in PANAS and STAI-r scores were not statistically significant, the PANAS score improvement in the experimental condition approached statistical significance (<i>p</i> = 0.054) and was just below the minimal clinically important difference (MCID), suggesting a potentially meaningful trend. Behavioral responses were higher during YouTube sessions, likely due to personalized content. All participants rated the IVR experience positively on the subjective questionnaire, indicating high acceptability, though social desirability bias cannot be excluded. (4) Conclusions: IVR appears to be a feasible and acceptable intervention for individuals with dementia, warranting further investigation.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/15/5/470dementiaimmersive virtual realitynon-pharmacological interventionspsychological well-beingpersonalized contentheart rate |
| spellingShingle | Paula Latorre Cleiton Pons Ferreira Francisco Nieto-Escamez A Crossover Study of Virtual Reality Exposure for Emotional and Physiological Regulation in Mild Dementia Brain Sciences dementia immersive virtual reality non-pharmacological interventions psychological well-being personalized content heart rate |
| title | A Crossover Study of Virtual Reality Exposure for Emotional and Physiological Regulation in Mild Dementia |
| title_full | A Crossover Study of Virtual Reality Exposure for Emotional and Physiological Regulation in Mild Dementia |
| title_fullStr | A Crossover Study of Virtual Reality Exposure for Emotional and Physiological Regulation in Mild Dementia |
| title_full_unstemmed | A Crossover Study of Virtual Reality Exposure for Emotional and Physiological Regulation in Mild Dementia |
| title_short | A Crossover Study of Virtual Reality Exposure for Emotional and Physiological Regulation in Mild Dementia |
| title_sort | crossover study of virtual reality exposure for emotional and physiological regulation in mild dementia |
| topic | dementia immersive virtual reality non-pharmacological interventions psychological well-being personalized content heart rate |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/15/5/470 |
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