Leader: Fabio Lucidi (Sapienza); Other collaborator(s):
This Task aims to develop an innovative dual cognitive/motor training for healthy older adults in immersive VR intended to foster behavioral change, promote general cognitive and physical functioning and social interactions, and to carry out a pilot study on the efficacy and feasibility of the training.
Brief description of the activities and of the intermediate results
A randomized controlled trial (RCT) involving 60 elderly individuals over 65 is underway. Participants undergo three individual training sessions supervised by a trainer, one per week, for 3 weeks. Each session includes warm-up, aerobic and balance training, lower body exercises, and upper body exercises. The participants are divided into four groups, with two groups receiving a physical exercise intervention aided by Virtual Reality (VR) and two groups receiving a standard physical activity intervention with a real operator. The virtual coach in the VR intervention provides either instructions and encouragement messages based on the SDT theory or just informative messages (data collection started in December 2023).
- Published a rapid review on the effectiveness of Virtual and Augmented Reality interventions in enhancing physical exercise among healthy older adults while exploring the role of psychological variables, including mood, self-efficacy, and motivation (December 2023).
- Finalized a review and meta-analysis on the use of technological devices in motivating older adults to engage in physical activities (March 2024). Submission is planned for April 2024.
- Pre-registered in PROSPERO (ID: CRD42023485376) a systematic review and meta-analysis on the impact of self-determined motivation on physical activity among older adults (December 2023). Submission is planned for July 2024.
- Completing a study on the validation of the Subjective Vitality/Depletion Scale on a dual-country (USA and Italy) sample of older adults. Submission is planned for May 2024.
- Completing a study on the longitudinal dynamics of motivation in physical activity among Older Adults using network analysis approaches. Submission is planned for June 2024
- Finalized the oral presentation for the Age-IT conference (scheduled in May 2024).
- Finalized the oral presentation on Enhancing Physical activity through Motivational stimuli in Augmented Reality for the International Conference on Advanced Visual Interfaces (scheduled in June 2024).
- Finalized the oral presentation titled “Exploring the Dynamics of Motivation in Physica Activity among Older Adults through a Panel Network Approach” for the Modern Modeling Methods conference (scheduled in June 2024).
Main policy, industrial and scientific implications
Potential Policy Implications
- Evidence in supporting specific VR or AR interventions to promote healthy aging to encourage the adoption of technology-assisted training programs in community and healthcare settings for elderly populations.
- Development of guidelines and standards for incorporating VR and AR technologies in physical therapy and rehabilitation programs tailored for older adults.
- If these interventions show significant benefits, public health agencies might recommend them more broadly, integrating technological solutions into existing public health campaigns aimed at reducing sedentary behaviors and promoting active lifestyles among older adults.
- The promotion of a healthy lifestyle to prevent health issues could lead to reduced healthcare costs among older adults
Potential Industry Implications
- The enhancement of interest and investment in the health tech industry, particularly in the development of VR and AR applications tailored for the elderly.
- There may be increased opportunities for partnerships between academia, technology developers, healthcare providers, and fitness professionals to create and refine interventions that merge technology with physical training for older adults.
- Insights on the effectiveness of motivational cues and psychological support through technology could lead to innovations in how such technologies are designed, such as developing more interactive and engaging interfaces or personalized training programs.
Potential Practice Implications
- Determining how motivation, vitality, depletion, and self-efficacy affect physical activity behaviors may allow to design of exercise interventions tailored to older adults to improve health and quality of life.
- Clinics and senior care facilities might adopt VR and AR technologies if they are proven effective, using them to enhance traditional exercise programs, improve engagement, and achieve better health outcomes among elderly patients.
- Development of validated and reliable self-reported questionnaires for assessing motivation, self-efficacy, vitality, and depletion for the Italian elderly population. These questionnaires could be used in both research and public health settings.
- Data collection of a randomized controlled trial (RCT) involving 80 elderly individuals over 65. Participants performed three individual training sessions supervised by a trainer, one per week, for 3 weeks. Each session included warm-up, aerobic and balance training, and lower and upper body exercises. The participants are divided into four groups, with two groups receiving a physical exercise intervention aided by Virtual Reality (VR) and two groups receiving a standard physical activity intervention with a real operator. The VR intervention's virtual coach provides instructions and encouragement messages based on the SDT theory or just informative messages. Data analysis is ongoing. Following our milestones, scientific contributions are expected to be published in the coming months on improving aging people's mental and physical health using VR technology (by June 2025).
- Submitted a review and meta-analysis on the use of technological devices in motivating older adults to engage in physical activities (September 2024). Currently under review.
- Submitted a study on the validation of the Subjective Vitality/Depletion Scale on a dual-country (USA and Italy) sample of older adults (September 2024). Waiting for the Editor's decision.
- Completing a systematic review of qualitative studies on Motivation, Psychological Needs, and Physical Activity in Older Adults. Submission is planned for November 2024.
- Completing a study on the longitudinal dynamics of motivation in physical activity among Older Adults using network analysis approaches. Submission is planned for November 2024
- Data analysis of data related to a randomized controlled trial (RCT) involving 80 elderly individuals over 65 using VR devices to improve motivation in engaging in physical activity behavior (November 2024).
- Writing scientific contributions on improving aging people's mental and physical health using VR technology. Submissions are planned for June 2025.
- Submitted a study on the validation of the Subjective Vitality/Depletion Scale on a dual-country (USA and Italy) sample of older adults (September 2024). Under review
- Submitted a systematic review of qualitative studies on Motivation, Psychological Needs, and Physical Activity in Older Adults (November 2024)
- Submitted a scientific contribution to the American Psychological Science (APS) conference on the assessment of subjective vitality and depletion scale in older people (December 2024)
List of scientific contributions in national/international congresses:
- Oral presentation titled “Does using technological devices motivate older adults to engage in physical activities? A systematic review and meta-analysis” for the conference General Meeting Age-It, Venice, Italy (May 2024).
- Oral presentation titled “Measuring Subjective Vitality and Depletion in older people from a SDT prospective: a dual country study” for the XXX Congress of the Italian Psychological Association (AIP)-Experimental Section, Noto, Italy (September 2024).
- Oral presentation titled “Enhancing Physical activity through Motivational stimuli in Augmented Reality” for the International Conference on Advanced Visual Interfaces 2024, Arenzano, Italy (June 2024).
- Oral presentation titled “Exploring the Dynamics of Motivation in Physical Activity among Older Adults through a Panel Network Approach” for the Modern Modeling Methods conference, Connecticut, USA (June 2024).
List of scientific publications in peer-reviewed journals:
- Cazzolli, B., Palombi, T., Mancini, M., Alivernini, F., Lucidi, F., Chirico, A. (2024). Enhancing Physical Activity through Motivational Stimuli in Augmented Reality. ACM International Conference Proceeding Series. doi: 10.1145/3656650.3656745
- Chirico, A., Avellone, M., Palombi, T., Alivernini, F., Alessandri, G., Filosa, L., Pistella, J., Baiocco, R., Lucidi, F. (2024). Catalysts of Wellness: Exploring the Psychological Nexus of Virtual Reality and Physical Activity in Older Adults. Behavioral Sciences. 14, 11. doi: 10.3390/bs14010031
- Dawe, J., Cavicchiolo, E., Palombi, T., Baiocco, R., Antoniucci, C., Pistella, J., Alessandri, G., Filosa, L., Tavolucci, S., Borghi, A. M., Fini, C., Chirico, A., Alivernini, F., Lucidi, F. (2024). Measuring Self-Efficacy for Exercise among Older Adults: Psychometric Properties and Measurement Invariance of a Brief Version of the Self-Efficacy for Exercise (SEE) Scale. Healthcare. doi: 10.3390/healthcare12161642
- Palombi, T., Galli, F., Giancamilli, F., D’Amico, M., Alivernini, F., Gallo, L., Neroni, P., Predazzi, M., De Pietro, G., Lucidi, F., Giordano, A., and Chirico, A. (2023). The role of sense of presence in expressing cognitive abilities in a virtual reality task: an initial validation study. Scientific Reports. Volume 13, Issue 1. doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-40510-0
- Palombi, T., Lucidi, F., Chirico, A., Alessandri, G., Filosa, L., Tavolucci, S., Borghi, A.M., Fini, C., Cavicchiolo, E., Pistella, J., Baiocco, R., and Alivernini, F. Is the Behavioral Regulation in Exercise Questionnaire a Valid Measure in Older People? Healthcare 2023, 11, 2707. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare11202707