The effect of virtual reality program on the cognitive function and balance of the people with mild cognitive impairment.
Jungha Hwang, Sunmin Lee
PMID 28878448WHAT IT FOUND
In 24 adults with mild cognitive impairment, four weeks of virtual reality tasks improved memory, concentration and balance scores, while traditional occupational therapy did not.
The study did not test whether changes lasted.
Key findings
01The virtual reality group showed improved memory, concentration and balance scores after treatment.
02The traditional occupational therapy group did not show significant changes in memory, concentration or balance after treatment.
03After treatment, the virtual reality and occupational therapy groups differed significantly on memory, concentration and balance measures.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
Only 24 participants were studied, and the authors say this makes generalization difficult. The intervention lasted four weeks, and the paper does not report follow-up after the program. The study was done at one welfare center, so results may not apply to other settings. The report does not state whether participants or assessors were blinded. The virtual reality program included visual and auditory feedback and self-selected training, but the paper does not test which component caused the changes.
Declared interests
The supplied text does not report funding sources or author conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that virtual reality is an established treatment for mild cognitive impairment. The trial had 24 participants, lasted four weeks, had no follow-up, and the authors state the results are difficult to generalize.