Virtual reality game-based training for preventing falls among community-dwelling older adults with mild cognitive impairment : A pilot randomized control trial study

Journal article


Ip, Wing Keung, Soar, Jeffrey, James, Christina, Wang, Szu-Yao and Fong, Kenneth N. K.. (2025). Virtual reality game-based training for preventing falls among community-dwelling older adults with mild cognitive impairment : A pilot randomized control trial study. Virtual Reality. 29(1), p. Article 18. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10055-024-01084-y
AuthorsIp, Wing Keung, Soar, Jeffrey, James, Christina, Wang, Szu-Yao and Fong, Kenneth N. K.
Abstract

Using a Virtual Reality (VR) game-based application represents an innovative approach to falls prevention in community aged care service. The study investigated the effects of VR training on falls prevention among community-dwelling older adults with mild cognitive impairment. A pilot randomized controlled trial was conducted to compare the effects of full-immersive VR training with group-based exercise (Baduanjin) training on falls prevention. Eighteen participants were recruited through convenience sampling and were randomly assigned to either the VR group or the non-VR exercise group. Both groups participated in 16 falls prevention training sessions over eight weeks. Participants, identified with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), underwent three fall risk measurements. They had been screened using Montreal Cognitive Assessment (HK-MoCA). The primary outcomes assessed included changes in physical risk factors of falls (i.e. functional mobility, walk speed and postural balance), and the secondary outcomes assessed included changes in executive function and fall efficacy. The measurement of physical outcomes was Time Up and Go test (TUG), Berg balance scale (BBS) and Six-minute Walk Test (6MWT). The participants’ executive function and fear of falling were assessed through the Trail marking test (TMTA and TMTB) and the Fall Efficacy International scale (FES-I). The results showed that the VR group had significantly greater improvement than the non-VR group on measures of cognitive-motor performance, such as global cognition, functional mobility, balance and walk speed over time. However, no significant differences were observed between the two groups in executive functions and the fall efficacy. The study provides potential evidence that VR game-based cognitive-motor training can be effective for fall prevention in community dwelling older adults with MCI. However, the findings do not support significant improvements in secondary outcomes. Despite this, the growing trend of VR research suggests increasing interest and potential for future applications in aged care and rehabilitation services.

Keywordsfull-immersive virtual reality (VR); cognitive-motor training; community-dwelling older adults; mild cognitive impairment (MCI); dementia; falls prevention
Year2025
JournalVirtual Reality
Journal citation29 (1), p. Article 18
PublisherSpringer
ISSN1434-9957
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1007/s10055-024-01084-y
Scopus EID2-s2.0-85214019683
Open accessPublished as ‘gold’ (paid) open access
Page range1-11
Publisher's version
License
File Access Level
Open
Output statusPublished
Publication dates
Online04 Jan 2025
Publication process dates
Accepted03 Dec 2024
Deposited05 Jun 2025
Additional information

© The Author(s) 2025.

This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.

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