BIBLIOS

Document type
Journal articles

Document subtype
Full paper

Title
Photo-Realistic Interactive Virtual Environments for Neurorehabilitation in Mild Cognitive Impairment (NeuroVRehab.PT): A Participatory Design and Proof-of-Concept Study

Participants in the publication
Filipa Ferreira-Brito (Author)
Sérgio Alves (Author)
Osvaldo Santos (Author)
Tiago Guerreiro (Author)
Dep. Informática
LASIGE
Cátia Caneiras (Author)
Luís Carriço (Author)
Dep. Informática
LASIGE
Ana Verdelho (Author)

Summary
Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is characterized by cognitive, psychological, and functional impairments. Digital interventions typically focus on cognitive deficits, neglecting the difficulties that patients experience in instrumental activities of daily living (IADL). The global conjecture created by COVID-19 has highlighted the seminal importance of digital interventions for the provision of healthcare services. Here, we investigated the feasibility and rehabilitation potential of a new design approach for creating highly realistic interactive virtual environments for MCI patients’ neurorehabilitation. Through a participatory design protocol, a neurorehabilitation digital platform was developed using images captured from a Portuguese supermarket (NeuroVRehab. PT). NeuroVRehab. PT’s main features (eg, medium-sized supermarket, the use of shopping lists) were established according to a shopping behavior questionnaire filled in by 110 older adults. Seven health professionals used the platform and assessed its rehabilitation potential, clinical applicability, and user experience. Interviews were conducted using the think-aloud method and semi-structured scripts, and four main themes were derived from an inductive semantic thematic analysis. Our findings support NeuroVRehab. PT as an ecologically valid instrument with clinical applicability in MCI neurorehabilitation. Our design approach, together with a comprehensive analysis of the patients’ past experiences with IADL, is a promising technique to develop effective digital interventions to promote real-world functioning.


Institution
FACULDADE DE CIÊNCIAS DA UNIVERSIDADE DE LISBOA

Where published
Journal of Clinical Medicine

Publication Identifiers
ISSN - 2077-0383

Publisher
MDPI AG



Document Identifiers
DOI - https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm9123821
URL - http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/jcm9123821

Rankings
Web Of Science Q1 (2019) - 3.303 - Medicine, General, and Internal
Google Metrics (2020) - 55