VR Hand Exercises: Impact on Cognition and Dexterity in MCI

The exercises in this group consist of four different games, including: (1) MasterChef, which involves performing daily living tasks in a virtual kitchen environment such as slicing tomatoes and cheese, adding salt, cracking and adding eggs, and stirring with a fork to prepare an omelet; (2) PinchPeg, where participants use a pinch grip to grasp rods generated in the center of a virtual environment and place them into holes on a pegboard, followed by removing and returning them to their original location; (3) Hold and Put, which requires the use of a standard palmar grasp to pick up virtual cups or cans and place them onto designated shelves; and (4) bPuzzle, a task that integrates cognitive and fine motor exercises by requiring participants to change the color of a puzzle using finger movements and place the pieces into the correct positions using hand gestures.

Participants will be asked to complete puzzles consisting of 30 to 50 pieces, with 3 to 4 different puzzles used to eliminate the learning effect. They will perform the Nine-Hole Peg Test, which is similar to the PinchPeg game in the virtual reality group, by picking up pegs one by one from a container and placing them into holes on the board as quickly as possible using only the evaluated hand; this will be used for training purposes. Additionally, participants will be instructed to cut out geometric shapes with dotted outlines using scissors, aiming to follow the lines accurately. Finally, they will sort objects by placing the correct number and color of items into designated locations according to a predetermined pattern, and use a magnetic fishing rod to catch wooden fish, promoting both fine motor skills and task-oriented hand function.