O efeito do treinamento cognitivo-motor na realidade virtual imersiva para pessoas idosas: parâmetros comportamentais e eletrofisiológicos

Abstract

As we age, our ability to integrate sensory information gradually decreases, leading to a decline in cognitive and motor functions. This decline implies the loss of functional independence and failure to manage the most basic daily activities. Immersive virtual reality (IVR) applications based on instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) can potentially prevent cognitive and motor decline in active older people, as it allows for a more naturalistic sensorimotor integration. This integrative approach facilitates an adaptive closed loop, in which the brain adjusts its sensorimotor and spatial representation to the virtual environment modulated by perceptual, motor and cognitive load, magnifying the effect on task performance. However, the efficiency of this method is still a matter of debate. The study aimed to investigate the effect of cognitive-motor training in an immersive virtual environment for active older adults using behavioral and electrophysiological measures. Twenty-seven volunteers of both sexes participated in the study, with a mean age of 67.52 ± 6.70 years, randomly allocated to the cognitive-motor training group in the RVI (TG; n = 15) and the control group (CG; n = 12). The intervention lasted five weeks, during which the TG underwent ten sessions of 30 minutes each on the IADL platform, Systemic Lisbon Battery (SLB). In the same period and frequency, the CG watched ten videos with different themes about active aging. The groups were evaluated and compared in the pre and post-intervention test regarding visuospatial working memory using the Corsi Blocks Test (CBT), manual dexterity using the Grooved Pegboard Test (GPT), and spatial learning and memory in the RVI using the virtual test analogous to the Morris Maze (LMv). Electroencephalographic recordings were used to assess cognitive effort (engagement index and mental workload index) during the tests. After completing the training, the TG was evaluated on their experience and exposure to IVR. Inferential analyses indicated significant improvement in visuospatial working memory, and spatial learning in IVR. There were no significant differences between groups in manual dexterity and cognitive effort evaluations. The acceptability of the instruments and the full adherence of the TG participants to the immersive training were also confirmed. The findings suggest that cognitive-motor training in RVI can improve visuospatial skills by exposing active older adults to an enriched virtual environment, designed for instrumental activities of daily living.