Efficacy of vr-based reminiscence therapy in improving autobiographical memory for chinese patients with ad

Abstract

The goal of the study was to examine the efficacy of virtual reality (VR) for reminiscence therapy (RT) in improving autobiographical memory (AM) for Chinese patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). We designed a virtual reminiscence room using 3D modeling and rendering technology to reproduce life scenes from the 1970s of China. Then we assigned subjects to the VR-based RT group, the Photo-based RT group and the Blank group for AM-stimulating efficacy test and acceptability assessment. AM was collected using the free narrative recall and scored by the TEMPau scale. Acceptability was assessed using three self-report questionnaires, including a motivation questionnaire, a presence questionnaire and a VR sickness questionnaire. The result showed that the total memory scores in both the VR and the Photo group were significantly higher than the Blank. Further, subjects showed significant pleasure for the VR than for the photos, and they reported high levels of presence as well as negligible sickness symptoms. This study gives a preliminary view that VR can be considered as an effective and acceptable tool for reminiscence therapy in AD patients.