Virtual Reality Intervention for the Reduction of Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia

"It will consist in carrying out 12 virtual reality sessions in groups of 6 participants, at a rate of 2 per week for approximately 6 weeks, using the LUMEEN EVASION module. Each session lasts approximately 45 minutes. This module allows the simultaneous broadcasting in virtual reality headsets of 360° videos accompanied by music about different themes: nature, animals, travel, art and live performance.~The course of an EVASION session is as follows:~1. The participants are seated in armchairs in an open environment and sufficiently spaced so that they can move their arms without bumping into each other.~2. The facilitator announces the immersion theme of the session~3. Participants are equipped with virtual reality head-mounted displays.~4. Participants watch the content.~5. The head-mounted displays are removed.~6. A group discussion encouraging participants to share their feelings and what they have learned from the immersion is conducted by the facilitator."

It will consist in non-digital stimulation (sensory, social, cognitive, creative) group sessions offering various typical pen-and-paper activities for this public which mainly stimulate language, immediate memory, semantic memory, and visual recognition (e.g., definitions, games of 7 differences, reconstruction of proverbs, quizzes…). A set of activities with instructions will be provided to the investigating centres but the choice of activities in each session will be left to the facilitator's decision in order to adapt the sessions to the participants' desires and abilities, as is usually done in such stimulation groups. The sessions will last 45 minutes and will be offered twice a week for 6 weeks by a facilitator or a caregiver with group care training. The sessions will be organized in groups of 6 participants to match the group size of the intervention groups.