Exploring how VR can help meet the challenges of an ageing population: shifting the focus from gaming to training and assessment

Background

It certainly isn’t news that emerging technologies in the field of virtual interaction can be applied effectively to help both researchers and older adults in various contexts and situations. One of the most striking cases is, undoubtedly, the work carried out in 2016 by Kyle Rand and the Boston-based Rendever – one of the first companies to overcome purely theoretical or academic approaches and go beyond the classic ‘pilot’ phase by becoming a market solution now supported by an infrastructure and a platform for the creation of third-party content. This could be the first quote of a long list of companies that in the field of VR for pure entertainment, rehab or diagnoses are leading the way to a fast-growing market of solutions and application we invite you to explore further via our report.

It is clear that the evolution of technology in terms of both bandwidth and computational capacity has been supported by the evolution of headsets, which seems to be an unstoppable process, even in its infancy. With the second-generation Oculus Quest headset’s release, the possibilities of VR, big data, and artificial intelligence for more critical use cases is illustrated. But this is only a step: Facebook’s massive acquisition campaign, which it has given as a dowry to the Reality Labs, suggests that the commitment of the big brands is the gateway to a future that has yet to be designed. It is necessary to be part of it, right now, in order to understand and direct it.

Our approach

We believe that emerging technologies can help people live better and longer. Virtual gaming – if used intelligently – can demonstrate this well. Here at NICA, we are collaborating with Virtuleap, a start-up based in Portugal, to understand how virtual reality can not only entertain but establish connections, improve cognition, and support cognitive assessments. Virtuleap has drawn on research-backed science to create a set of brain training games to improve the ageing population’s cognitive functions with the help of VR and artificial intelligence.

Amir Bozorgzadeh, founder of Virtuleap, suggests:

The iteration of research, industry collaboration and application of research in technology and clinical testing can help researchers and technologists bridge the gaps in how they think VR technology should be used in healthcare, in which areas, and for what purposes. Over time, the technology will become more refined, more accepted, and the effects more controlled.

When studying performance measurement of existing cognitive games, Virtuleap understood that mental health providers need more robust tools and data to help them monitor patients. Therefore, Virtuleap have drawn on research-backed science to create a set of brain-training games to improve the ageing population’s cognitive functions with the help of VR and artificial intelligence.

Workshop participant:

I’ve been a programmer for 40 years, a game player since Space Invader days, a puzzle solver for fun AND I’m getting old. I’m very interested in where this technology is going!

When studying performance measurement of existing cognitive games, Virtuleap understood that mental health providers need more robust tools and data to help them monitor patients. Therefore, Virtuleap have drawn on research-backed science to create a set of brain-training games to improve the ageing population’s cognitive functions with the help of VR and artificial intelligence.

The project

Together with Virtuleap, we wanted to understand what people think and feel about VR technology. Could VR brain training become part of their daily activities to stimulate and potentially improve cognitive function? We asked a group of people aged 41-85 to interact with Virtuleap’s latest technology, ‘Enhance’. The app offers a growing library of VR brain training games that test and train various cognitive skills including memory, problem-solving, information processing, motor control and spatial orientation. It pairs with a client dashboard and admin panel to provide various reporting and data tools that allow us to shape, modify, and analyse the collected information for the maximum cognitive benefit of users.

Workshop participant:

I wanted to find out how I can do some brain gymnastics in order to improve my memory

During a series of workshops we explored how older adults felt about their longevity process, their worries and opportunities to stay fit. We wanted to understand whether incorporating virtual reality into their everyday routine would be feasible. Most of our respondents reported  “diminished mental capacity” as one of the most worrying factors in the process of ageing. 73% said they felt their cognitive abilities had changed over the last 5 years, while no one reported that their cognitive health had improved in the last years. In fact, 35% said they thought it had become ‘slightly worse’, with tasks such as “avoiding distractions” and “listening to a conversation in a crowded space” presenting as most challenging. Evidence clearly suggests that maintaining cognitive health is important to this demographic. Most of them are already active in their pursuit to maintain healthy cognition and they are willing to engage with VR brain training as a viable method of maintaining good cognitive function. Insights gathered during this workshop have demonstrated that the older population are interested in their physical and cognitive health and how to maintain it, currently practicing ‘traditional’ methods to support healthy cognition such as crosswords or reading. The vast majority were pleased to learn more about innovative new methods which may support cognitive health. Most of the people involved would pay, “a monthly subscription fee”, to access the brain training games like the Virtuleap and would “recommend this application to family and/or friends”.

Workshop participant:

Tremendous potential but you need to involve older people in designing more age-friendly versions

Like other technologies, the robustness of using virtual reality in conjunction with big data and AI can create powerful tools to bring about meaningful change in healthcare and education. However, VR escapism has been a source of worry for proponents of the technology. With 12 clinical partnerships and six clinical study trials beginning in 2021, across the U.S. and Europe, Virtuleap hopes that more detailed assessments with additional cognitive information will enable mental health providers to understand the nuances of diagnosis for each patient. NICA will be with them, supporting research and innovation paths.