SmartAktiv: A tablet- and virtual reality-based training for individuals with cognitive decline
Authors: Schultz Anna , Paletta Lucas , Linzer Amadeus , Goldgruber Judith , Berger Ursula , Kratky Wolfgang , Russegger Silvia , Draxler Sandra , Orgel Thomas , Dini Amir , Schneeberger Michael , Pszeida Martin , Weiss Wolfgang , Pfitzer Thomas , Koini Marisa , Schuessler Sandra , Zuschnegg Julia 
Published: June 2024

Against the background of population ageing and the increasing global prevalence of chronic diseases, such as dementia (Nichols et al., 2022), and the associated increase in healthcare services, the development of new technologies to counteract an impending care gap is of great importance. Virtual Reality (VR) has been identified as a new technology in addressing the needs of older people (Abdi et al., 2020) and shown to improve quality of life (QoL; Afifi et al., 2022) and performance of activities of daily living (ADL; Ge et al., 2018). To the authors’ knowledge there is no combination of immersive VR and tablet training that (1) has been developed with and for people with cognitive decline, and (2) targets intelligent multimodal activation and ADL training within meaningful/leisure activities. The aims of the SmartAktiv project concern the development of a tablet- and VR-based training environment and its impact on QoL and ADL performance as well as the correlation of digital biomarkers for dementia and different screening tools and questionnaires. Methods: In a first phase, data from previous VR-studies were examined and discussed in an expert workshop (n = 6) and a focus group (n = 7 people with cognitive decline) to develop the VR scenarios. The tablet-training is based on an earlier study, its content was adapted to the VR scenarios within an expert workshop (n = 10). In a second phase, a usability study with n = max. 9 participants with cognitive decline and n = max. 3 health professionals will be conducted to adjust the tablet-VR-system. In the third and final phase, the system will be tested in a one-month pilot study (n = max. 30) including participants with subjective cognitive decline, mild cognitive impairment, and mild dementia. Collected data will comprise quantitative and qualitative data from questionnaires/scales, sensor data from the VR-glasses, tablet-PC, biosensors and interviews to assess QoL, usability, cognition, ADL-performance, and experience. First Results: Four scenarios (beach, winter, hiking, and urban experience) were selected for further development. The focus group provided valuable insights into the preferred means of transport and the planned activities (e.g., gathering mushrooms in a forest, eating ice cream in a beach bar) within each VR scenario. The planned training (tablet and VR-scenarios) will cover the entire journey, from planning (e.g., packing a suitcase) to embarking on the chosen trip (e.g., boarding the right means of transport), and will integrate interactive cognitive (I)ADL tasks, such as managing finances and medication. Results of the usability and pilot study will be presented at the conference. Conclusion: SmartAktiv aims to develop an innovative learning environment which enables multimodal activation through playful interactive cognitive training. Additionally, SmartAktiv strives to advance the use of biomarkers in the early diagnosis of cognitive impairments.