Lai Frank Ho-Yin, Yee Benjamin K, Wang Eileen H J, Butler Joe, Graham Andrew, Hai Eddie Yip-Kuen, Darling Cath, Whittington Stephanie, Lowe Julie-Anne
Department of Social Work, Education and Community Wellbeing, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Northumbria University, Newcastle, United Kingdom.
Mental Health Research Centre, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
Front Psychiatry. 2025 Jul 1;16:1570594. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1570594. eCollection 2025.
The global demographic shift towards an older population necessitates innovative methods to assess cognitive abilities, particularly spatial working memory, which is crucial for daily living and early detection of neurocognitive conditions like Alzheimer's disease.
This qualitative study utilised the Virtual Reality Working Memory Task (VRWMT), a semi-immersive VR activity using keyboard navigation, to assess spatial working memory in older adults. Participants were recruited from community centres and categorised by age and technological familiarity. Focus groups evaluated user perceptions based on the Technology Acceptance Model constructs: Perceived Usefulness, Perceived Ease of Use, Attitude Toward Usage, and Behavioural Intention to Use. The study aimed to assess the acceptability and feasibility of VRWMT across diverse populations, examining its navigational simplicity, emotional engagement, and willingness to endorse VRWMT for routine cognitive assessments.
Findings indicated significant variations in perceived usefulness, ease of use, attitude toward using, and behavioural intention to use across different age groups and socio-demographic characteristics. High-technology-familiarity participants found VRWMT easy to use and engaging, while those with low familiarity struggled with navigation and engagement. Socio-demographic factors such as limited digital literacy and lack of standby support impact technology adoption. Higher technological familiarity leads to better acceptance and feasibility of VRWMT.
VRWMT can enhance cognitive health monitoring and therapeutic interventions. The results highlighted that personalised pathways and user-friendly interfaces can improve accessibility and engagement, making VRWMT a valuable tool for cognitive assessments, as part of Occupational Therapy, in diverse populations.
全球人口向老龄化转变，这就需要创新方法来评估认知能力，尤其是空间工作记忆，它对日常生活以及像阿尔茨海默病这样的神经认知疾病的早期检测至关重要。
这项定性研究采用了虚拟现实工作记忆任务（VRWMT），这是一种使用键盘导航的半沉浸式虚拟现实活动，用于评估老年人的空间工作记忆。参与者从社区中心招募，并按年龄和技术熟悉程度进行分类。焦点小组根据技术接受模型的构念评估用户认知：感知有用性、感知易用性、使用态度和使用行为意向。该研究旨在评估VRWMT在不同人群中的可接受性和可行性，考察其导航的简易性、情感参与度以及认可将VRWMT用于常规认知评估的意愿。
研究结果表明，不同年龄组和社会人口特征在感知有用性、易用性、使用态度和使用行为意向上存在显著差异。对高科技熟悉的参与者觉得VRWMT易于使用且有吸引力，而熟悉程度低的参与者在导航和参与方面存在困难。数字素养有限和缺乏备用支持等社会人口因素影响技术采用。更高的技术熟悉度会带来VRWMT更好的接受度和可行性。
VRWMT可以加强认知健康监测和治疗干预。结果突出表明，个性化路径和用户友好界面可以提高可及性和参与度，使VRWMT成为职业治疗中用于不同人群认知评估的有价值工具。
