The Effect of Different Virtual Reality Trainings on Gait, Balance and Posture of Individuals With Dementia

Comparison of The Effect of Two Different Virtual Reality Trainings on Gait, Balance and Posture of Individuals With Dementia

Dementia, a part of geriatric syndrome, is characterized by the deterioration of multiple cognitive domains such as memory, language, orientation, learning and personality as a result of damage to the central nervous system and in terms prognosis persistent and often progressive clinical condition. In the epidemiological studies it is stated that the number of the dementia affected people approximately 2 times in every 20 years. In several studies, it has been mentioned that cognitive disorders affect individuals' motor function such as gait and postural responses. These effects lead to a vicious circle by causing immobilization of individuals due to a decrease in cognitive functions in addition to immobilization due to aging. The lack of pharmacological therapies to change the prognosis of dementia, emphasizes physical activity methods due to its neurological contributions. However, due to the fact that conventional exercise programs are seen as boring in terms of elderly individuals and the exercise attendance rates are low, the virtual reality (VR) training have been preferred recently. To the best of the investigator's knowledge, there is no study examining the effect of different virtual reality trainings on the spatio-temporal characteristics of the gait, posture and balance. Therefore, the aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of different virtual reality trainings on these parameters.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Diagnosed with dementia
• Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score between 18-23 points
• Able to walk independently with/without a walking aid (a single point cane)
• Able to speak and understand Turkish
• Understand simple commands
• At least primary education

Exclusion Criteria:

• Severly vision and hearing problems
• Undergo acute retinal hemorrhage or ophthalmic surgery
• Acute or chronic neurological problems
• Musculoskeletal and/or neurological problems affecting movement and balance
• Vestibular problem and/or use medicine
• Uncontrolled cardiovascular disease, congestive heart failure, acute myocarditis, pulmonary hypertension, or using a pacemaker
• Malignancy
• Orthopedic or neurological surgery in the past 6 months