The effect of a virtual reality based intervention on processing speed and working memory in individuals with ADHD—A pilot-study
Introduction: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a virtual reality based intervention in processing speed and working memory in students with ADHD symptomatology.Methods: A randomized experimental study was conducted, with a sample consisting of 25 adult participants recruited from th...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2023-02-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Virtual Reality |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frvir.2023.1108060/full |
| _version_ | 1797895378040782848 |
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| author | Filipa Cunha Sara Campos Vitor Simões-Silva Victòria Brugada-Ramentol Bebiana Sá-Moura Hossein Jalali Amir Bozorgzadeh Maria João Trigueiro |
| author_facet | Filipa Cunha Sara Campos Vitor Simões-Silva Victòria Brugada-Ramentol Bebiana Sá-Moura Hossein Jalali Amir Bozorgzadeh Maria João Trigueiro |
| author_sort | Filipa Cunha |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Introduction: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a virtual reality based intervention in processing speed and working memory in students with ADHD symptomatology.Methods: A randomized experimental study was conducted, with a sample consisting of 25 adult participants recruited from the Escola Superior de Saúde do Politécnico do Porto. The participants were allocated into two groups: a passive control group and an intervention group that completed 10 sessions using virtual reality-based games from the Enhance VR app. The intervention included 6 games: Whack-a-mole, Shuffled, Assembly, React, Memory Wall, and Maestro. The participants underwent pre- and post-intervention evaluations using the Southwestern Assessment of Processing Speed (SWAPS) and the Sequence of Letters and Numbers and Spatial Location of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale - 3rd Edition - WAIS-III. Descriptive statistics were used to characterize the sample and a mixed ANOVA was used to test the effectiveness of the intervention.Results: There was an improvement in the results of processing speed in the group exposed to the intervention (p < 0.001) and the value of the interaction between intervention and time was also significant (p = 0.004). There were no statistically significant differences between the participants’ working memory in the different variables under study, except for the values of the Spatial location test in the experimental group that improved relative to the initial assessment (p = 0.034).Discussion: A virtual reality cognitive training intervention resulted in improvements in the processing speed measures, which were not found in the control group. Although we cannot make the same conclusions regarding working memory, these results suggest that the VR intervention resulted in progress in the experimental group, possibly influenced by the intervention, which should be verified in future studies with longer interventions. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-10T07:25:39Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e952106afa8245a99e81605896659c4b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2673-4192 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-10T07:25:39Z |
| publishDate | 2023-02-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Virtual Reality |
| spelling | doaj.art-e952106afa8245a99e81605896659c4b2023-02-24T08:00:28ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Virtual Reality2673-41922023-02-01410.3389/frvir.2023.11080601108060The effect of a virtual reality based intervention on processing speed and working memory in individuals with ADHD—A pilot-studyFilipa Cunha0Sara Campos1Vitor Simões-Silva2Victòria Brugada-Ramentol3Bebiana Sá-Moura4Hossein Jalali5Amir Bozorgzadeh6Maria João Trigueiro7Center for Rehabilitation Research—Psychosocial Rehabilitation Unit, School of Health of the Polytechnic Institute of Porto, Porto, PortugalCenter for Rehabilitation Research—Psychosocial Rehabilitation Unit, School of Health of the Polytechnic Institute of Porto, Porto, PortugalCenter for Rehabilitation Research—Psychosocial Rehabilitation Unit, School of Health of the Polytechnic Institute of Porto, Porto, PortugalVirtuleap, Lisbon, PortugalVirtuleap, Lisbon, PortugalVirtuleap, Lisbon, PortugalVirtuleap, Lisbon, PortugalCenter for Rehabilitation Research—Psychosocial Rehabilitation Unit, School of Health of the Polytechnic Institute of Porto, Porto, PortugalIntroduction: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a virtual reality based intervention in processing speed and working memory in students with ADHD symptomatology.Methods: A randomized experimental study was conducted, with a sample consisting of 25 adult participants recruited from the Escola Superior de Saúde do Politécnico do Porto. The participants were allocated into two groups: a passive control group and an intervention group that completed 10 sessions using virtual reality-based games from the Enhance VR app. The intervention included 6 games: Whack-a-mole, Shuffled, Assembly, React, Memory Wall, and Maestro. The participants underwent pre- and post-intervention evaluations using the Southwestern Assessment of Processing Speed (SWAPS) and the Sequence of Letters and Numbers and Spatial Location of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale - 3rd Edition - WAIS-III. Descriptive statistics were used to characterize the sample and a mixed ANOVA was used to test the effectiveness of the intervention.Results: There was an improvement in the results of processing speed in the group exposed to the intervention (p < 0.001) and the value of the interaction between intervention and time was also significant (p = 0.004). There were no statistically significant differences between the participants’ working memory in the different variables under study, except for the values of the Spatial location test in the experimental group that improved relative to the initial assessment (p = 0.034).Discussion: A virtual reality cognitive training intervention resulted in improvements in the processing speed measures, which were not found in the control group. Although we cannot make the same conclusions regarding working memory, these results suggest that the VR intervention resulted in progress in the experimental group, possibly influenced by the intervention, which should be verified in future studies with longer interventions.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frvir.2023.1108060/fullattention deficit and hyperactivity disorderexecutive functionsprocessing speedworking memoryvirtual realitycognitive training |
| spellingShingle | Filipa Cunha Sara Campos Vitor Simões-Silva Victòria Brugada-Ramentol Bebiana Sá-Moura Hossein Jalali Amir Bozorgzadeh Maria João Trigueiro The effect of a virtual reality based intervention on processing speed and working memory in individuals with ADHD—A pilot-study Frontiers in Virtual Reality attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder executive functions processing speed working memory virtual reality cognitive training |
| title | The effect of a virtual reality based intervention on processing speed and working memory in individuals with ADHD—A pilot-study |
| title_full | The effect of a virtual reality based intervention on processing speed and working memory in individuals with ADHD—A pilot-study |
| title_fullStr | The effect of a virtual reality based intervention on processing speed and working memory in individuals with ADHD—A pilot-study |
| title_full_unstemmed | The effect of a virtual reality based intervention on processing speed and working memory in individuals with ADHD—A pilot-study |
| title_short | The effect of a virtual reality based intervention on processing speed and working memory in individuals with ADHD—A pilot-study |
| title_sort | effect of a virtual reality based intervention on processing speed and working memory in individuals with adhd a pilot study |
| topic | attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder executive functions processing speed working memory virtual reality cognitive training |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frvir.2023.1108060/full |
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