Virtual Reality Exergames for People Living with Dementia Based on Exercise Therapy Best Practices

Abstract

Exercise is an important factor for people living with dementia as it improves physical fitness and quality of life; however, it can be challenging for them to engage in exercise. This research created two virtual reality environments using Oculus Rift head-mounted display and Oculus touch controllers, with the goal of increasing the accessibility to exercise for people living with dementia. A three-week evaluation was conducted with six persons living with dementia to compare the virtual programs with human/therapist-guided exercise. The results showed that both virtual exercise programs were comparable to the therapist-guided exercise in terms of subjective enjoyment, comfort, and difficulty level of the activities. All the participants completed all the tasks designed for them in each day and five wanted to continue using virtual reality exercises. This research demonstrates promising potential of virtual reality exergames for people living with dementia. Future studies are needed to expand the available tasks, increase the available environments, and to examine clinical impact.