Motivation While Doing Physical Exercise in a Social Dual-task Virtual Environment

Studio Della Motivazione All'Esercizio Fisico in modalità Social Dual-task in Ambiente di realtà Virtuale Non Immersiva" Nell'Ambito Del Progetto ActivE3 - Everyone, Everywhere, Everyday "Rif. 2021-0612 - CUP C13C21000200005

The goal of this interventional study is to assess the difference in participants' motivation while performing a virtual reality-based dual-task exercise in a single-player vs. multi-player modality. The populations involved are the following: healthy young adults (14-18 ys.); children and adolescents (12-17 ys.) with motor disorders; older adults with neurological or respiratory conditions. The main questions it aims to answer are:

Is a "social" virtual environment better in promoting motivation to perform physical exercise? Is a "social" virtual environment better in promoting involvement, perceived social inclusion, and exercise performance?

Forty participants will test the single-player and the multi-player scenarios in a single-session and will rate their experiences with subjective questionnaires. A subgroup of participants (12) will use the multi-player system for 3 weeks/3 times a week.

Inclusion Criteria:

• For IRCCS E. Medea: patients 12 years and older with neuromotor pathologies;
• For Villa Beretta: adults with neurological pathologies;
• For INRCA Casatenovo: patients with chronic respiratory diseases, clinical stability for at least 4 weeks;
• Healthy volunteers: healthy students aged 14-18 years.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Absence of appropriate cognitive abilities to interact with virtual reality software;
• Presence of severe sensory deficits (visual acuity, auditory perception) such as to interfere with the administration of the proposed activities;
• Poor trunk control or physical limitations (excessive spasticity or joint limitations) that impair the safe performance of the pedaling activity. Presence of epilepsy or treatment with antiepileptic drugs, where the physician highlights contraindications;
• Participation in other standardized rehabilitation protocols involving lower limbs and walking.

Specifically, for INRCA Casatenovo:

• clinical instability (pH <7.35, hemodynamic instability, resting tachypnea);
• acute exacerbations in the month prior to enrollment;
• cognitive impairment such that participation in rehabilitation activities is impaired (Mini Mental State Examination < 24);
• cardiovascular decompensation NYHA (New York Heart Association) class III and IV;
• major cardiac arrhythmias;
• active solid or hematologic neoplasms;
• recent myocardial infarction (< 6 months);
• orthopedic clinical conditions that interfere with exercise.