Virtual Reality for Cognitive Support in a Person with Alzheimer's Disease: A Single-Case ABAB Feasibility Study

Strany: 40 - 48

Jazyk: eng

OBJECTIVE: This preliminary study examined the feasibility of a virtual reality-based intervention and explored phase-related changes in selected cognitive functions in a person with dementia due to Alzheimer's disease. The intervention was delivered as a supplement to existing services in a social care facility. METHODS: A single-case ABAB withdrawal design (N = 1) was conducted across 12 months (January-December 2025). Phase A represented periods without the experimental inter- vention, and phase B represented periods in which the participant underwent structured VR-based sessions three times per week for approximately 50 minutes per session using a commercially available Meta Quest head-mounted display. Repeated assessment was conducted monthly using the Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination (ACE). Data were analyzed using descriptive and visual methods, supplemented by the Percentage of Nonoverlapping Data (PND) and the Reliable Change Index (RCI). Because the initial A1 baseline phase included only two monthly data points, baseline stability was interpreted cautiously and the study was framed as a feasibility-oriented preliminary single-case investigation rather than as evidence of efficacy. RESULTS: Performance in the monitored cognitive subdomains showed a phase-related pattern. During the intervention phases, attention/orientation scores increased from 11 to a peak of 13 points, and memory scores increased from 16 to a peak of 18 points; both domains declined during the withdrawal phase (July–August). PND values ranged from 25 % to 75 % across phases and domains. Neither RCI value (1.56; 0.99) exceeded the threshold for statistically reliable individual change (>1.96). The two initial A1 measurements were identical, but the short baseline prevents robust inference regarding baseline stability. These preliminary findings suggest that the intervention may be associated with favorable phase-related changes in selected cognitive functions, although the single-case design precludes definitive conclusions regarding efficacy. CONCLUSION: The VR-based intervention was acceptable and implementable within routine social care and was associated with phase-related changes in selected cognitive functions. These preliminary findings do not permit causal conclusions or generalization, but they support the feasibility of conducting a larger main study using this intervention format

ISO 690:

Vostrý, M., Kovářová, K., Posel, Z., Binter, J., Hrach, K., Beránek, P., Michalička, J. 2026. Virtual Reality for Cognitive Support in a Person with Alzheimer's Disease: A Single-Case ABAB Feasibility Study. In Activitas Nervosa Superior Rediviva, vol. 68, no.1, pp. 40-48. 1337-933X. DOI: https://doi.org/10.31577/ansr.2026.68.1.4

APA:

Vostrý, M., Kovářová, K., Posel, Z., Binter, J., Hrach, K., Beránek, P., Michalička, J. (2026). Virtual Reality for Cognitive Support in a Person with Alzheimer's Disease: A Single-Case ABAB Feasibility Study. Activitas Nervosa Superior Rediviva, 68(1), 40-48. 1337-933X. DOI: https://doi.org/10.31577/ansr.2026.68.1.4

Vydavateľ: Slovak Academy of Sciences