Virtual Reality-Based Physical Exercise With Exergames (PhysEx) Improves Mental and Physical Health of Institutionalized Older Adults (original) (raw)

2017, Journal of the American Medical Directors Association

Institutionalized older persons show higher risk of functional dependence and falls due to physical and cognitive decline than community-dwelling residents. 1,2 Approximately 48% of older persons who are institutionalized experience a clear-cut cognitive decline after institutionalization. Together with general health impairments, these problems may be related to poor environmental stimuli provided by long term-care institutions (LTCI) as nursing homes. 1 Recently, the Taskforce Report 2 has shown recommendations to increase the level of physical activity and to improve mental and physical functions of institutionalized older persons. This statement highlights the relevance of physical activity and physical exercise to reduce the risk of sarcopenia, increase performance in activities of daily living, decrease risk of falls, and to prevent cognitive decline and depression in these people. These authors recommend pleasurable physical activities and physical exercise with moderate intensity twice a week and suggest that technological resources might be used in interventions to promote pleasure and motivation and to reduce chronic diseases and cognitive and physical decline of institutionalized older persons. We aimed at investigating the effect of virtual realityebased physical exercise with exergames (PhysEx) on cognitive functions, physical performance, depressive symptoms, and fear of falling of institutionalized older persons. Its main objective is to serve as a proof of principle for further development of larger studies. Methods We performed a randomized, single-blind, and controlled pilot study (registered in Brazilian Registry of Clinical Trials, no. RBR-6rytw2, and approved by the Ethics Committee of Universidade Federal Fluminense, no. 1.287.659). Seventy older persons (aged !60 years) were recruited and they met the inclusion criteria (medical consent, independent ambulation, comprehension of simple commands, and capacity of communication) and exclusion criteria (severe cardiorespiratory impairment, acute musculoskeletal injury, delirium and moderate to severe degree of JAMDA j o u rn a l h o m e p a g e : w w w. j a m d a. c o m