Browsing by Author "Soares, Maria"
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- Promoting reminiscences with virtual reality headsets: A pilot study with people with dementiaPublication . Coelho, Tiago; Marques, Cátia; Moreira, Daniela; Soares, Maria; Portugal, Paula; da Silva Marques, António; Ferreira, Ana Rita; Martins, SóniaThis study aimed to explore the feasibility and effects of promoting reminiscences, using virtual reality (VR) headsets for viewing 360° videos with personal relevance, with people with dementia. A study with a mixed methods design was conducted with nine older adults diagnosed with dementia. Interventions consisted of four sessions, in which the participants’ engagement, psychological and behavioral symptoms, and simulation sickness symptoms were evaluated. Neuropsychiatric symptomatology and quality of life were measured pre- and post-intervention. Caregivers were interviewed regarding the effect of the approach. In most cases, participants appeared to enjoy the sessions, actively explored the 360° environment, and shared memories associated with the depicted locations, often spontaneously.
- Promoting reminiscences with virtual reality: feasibility study with people with dementiaPublication . Coelho, Tiago; Marques, Cátia; Moreira, Daniela; Soares, Maria; Portugal, Paula; Marques, AntónioThis study aimed to examine the feasibility of promoting reminiscences with people with dementia, using 360° videos presented with virtual reality headsets. Four individual sessions were conducted with nine people with dementia. Average duration of the exposure was approximately ten minutes. The experience appeared to be pleasant for most of the participants (with the exception of one of the participants who reported visual limitations). Most participants shared positive memories while viewing the recordings. None of the participants experienced any significant increase in symptoms associated with nausea and disorientation.
- The effect of immersive reminiscence therapy on anxiety and depression in people with dementia: a pilot randomized controlled trial using virtual reality headsetsPublication . Soares, Maria; Coelho, Tiago; Portugal, Paula; Coelho, TiagoThis study aims to analyze the effect of reminiscence therapy using immersive virtual reality technology, in comparison with conventional reminiscence therapy, on anxiety and depressive symptoms of people with dementia. This pilot study followed a randomized controlled trial design. A convenience sample of 16 people with dementia was randomly divided in experimental and control groups. Due to health-related factors, 2 participants abandoned the study before completing the intervention. Intervention consisted of 8 biweekly individual reminiscence sessions conducted by trained researchers, in which participants in the experimental group viewed 360o videos of locations with personal relevance considering their life narratives, using virtual reality headsets to promote an immersive experience. Intervention in the control group was similar, except the videos were displayed in a computer monitor. The assessment was carried out before and after the intervention, using the Geriatric Depression Scale (15 items) and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale (7 items). Intervention and control groups were compared regarding sociodemographic variables and level of dementia progression at baseline. No statistically significant differences were found. Regarding the comparison of anxiety and depressive symptoms pre- and post-intervention, a slight decrease was observed in both groups, although statistical significance was not reached (p>0.05). The results of the present study do not illustrate an added value regarding the use of immersive stimuli with virtual reality technology, in reminiscence therapy programs with people with dementia. Further research is warranted to better ascertain the cost effectiveness of using these technologies in the nonpharmacological treatment of people with dementia.