Cognitive training has shown promise in cognitive rehabilitation in individuals with cognitive deficits, but when presented in screen-based devices the benefits seem to be limited. By providing the user with body-related sensory information, the experience of the environment in virtual reality (VR) becomes more vivid, thus resulting in higher cognitive improvement, moreover, the embodied experience of seemingly naturalistic immersive environments is advantageous over screen-based systems in cognitive training efficacy, as they have shown increased motivation from the participants and engagement with the task, thus making a VR environment the perfect medium for cognitive training.
Virtuleap’s flaghsip product Enhance VR is a cognitive training app in VR consisting of a library of 15 short gamified cognitive exercises (mini-games) inspired by the mechanics of validated neuropsychological tests. Enhance VR provides cognitive training workout across seven cognitive categories (i.e., memory, attention, information processing, problem-solving, spatial orientation, motor control, and cognitive flexibility). The Enhance VR app collects data from overall cognitive performance tracked through the Enhance Performance Index (EPI), the specialized proprietary in-game scoring system, and the scores from each game and cognitive category. Additionally, the app collects a wide range of data derived from the participant’s gameplay, such as motor outputs (e.g., accuracy and speed), reaction times, and game-related events that track individual behavioral outputs. Enhance VR can potentially collect 220,000 data points every 3-minutes that includes exhaustive body tracking combined with VR gameplay data. VR scenarios yield ecologically valid environment scenarios with precise control over the experimental variables and allow for a detailed measurement of the participant’s responses and behaviors. While playing Enhance VR, the user is creating a rich dataset of cognitive, motor and behavioral data that can pave the way for the discovery of new digital biomarkers to be used in diagnostic and treatment pathways. Currently, Enhance VR is available on several VR app stores (Pico, Oculus, SideQuest) with over 66,000 registered organic users.
Our large library of games tackling different categories enables the utilization of Enhance VR for several use cases and indications. Thus, we implemented or are currently implementing a series of clinical studies to investigate the feasibility and effectiveness of Enhance VR for different applications and that will be used as clinical evidence for potential regulatory certification:
– Virtuleap is currently running a pilot clinical study with the Vall d’Hebron Research Institute, funded by a grant awarded by “laCaixa” Foundation. The study aims to investigate whether Enhance VR improves cognitive functioning in elderly type 2 diabetic subjects, with mild cognitive impairment, a population at higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease compared to age-matched non-diabetic subjects. The study rationale is supported by increasing evidence that indicates that cognitive training can help to prevent cognitive decline.
– Virtuleap has a second pilot clinical study about to start recruitment in the US. This study, in collaboration with MapHabit and funded by NIH-SBIR, aims to 1) assess improvement in quality of life in those suffering from Alzheimer’s when using our solution longitudinally and 2) map out gaming patterns in order to identify digital phenotypes that can potentially detect any indication of tendencies towards cognitive decline in otherwise healthy adults.
– Virtuleap recently completed a small pilot aiming at evaluating the effectiveness of Enhance VR in processing speed and working memory in a group of students with ADHD symptomatology (https://doi.org/10.3389/frvir.2023.1108060). The randomized experimental study was conducted, with a sample consisting of 26 adult participants recruited from the Escola Superior de Saúde do Politécnico do Porto, Portugal. The participants were allocated into two groups: a passive control group and the intervention group that completed 10 sessions using VR-based games from the Enhance VR app. The intervention included 6 different games. An evaluation was performed pre- and post-intervention and we observed an improvement in the results of processing speed in the group exposed to the intervention, as measured by the Southwestern Assessment of Processing Speed – SWAPS
– We have been selected by Roche, in the context of the program Building Tomorrow Together – Innovation in Dementia, to be one of 4 startups to implement pilot studies at Portuguese clinical institutions. Our pilot consists of evaluating the usability of Cogniclear VR prototype (a new product for cognitive screening) with senior patients complaining of subjective cognitive complaints from Hospital Lusíadas.
– Preliminary usability data obtained from a small pilot study with 41 healthy volunteers (55-82 years old) implemented at Centro Dia.Ri in Italy shows promise as a solution for cognitive training for the older adult population (doi:10.3389/frvir.2023.1153145). Users reported an overall positive experience, showed willingness to repeat the experience and welcomed its utilization as a possible therapeutic/prevention solution.
– We are currently running a pilot study with older adults, residents of the Grand Maison Guest House Kyoto Katsuragawa, to evaluate satisfaction, usability and potential improvement in activities of daily living. This is a joint collaboration with Japan External Trade Organization and JSB Co., Ltd.
– We have conducted other studies to test the application of Enhance VR for several therapeutic indications, including intellectual disability (https://www.linkedin.com/posts/amirboz_enhancevr-activity-7188933077920817152-CF7q?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop), age-related cognitive decline (https://ceur-ws.org/Vol-3425/paper5.pdf), emotional dysregulation, among others.