VR for Cognitive Stimulation

We all care about our cognitive abilities. Many people train their brain in various ways, hoping that cognitive training will help prevent decline. As we live longer every generation, and as the normal aging process goes hand in hand with some gradual brain deterioration, there has been growing interest in finding methods to ‘keep our brains sharp’, to retain or even enhance our cognitive performance¹⁵.

Research has shown that especially the more dynamic abilities to problem solve, recall and manipulate new information (sometimes described as ‘fluid intelligence’) may decline in the normal aging process¹⁶. Multiple rigorously designed and well-controlled cognitive training programs have demonstrated benefit in improving domain specific cognitive functions in healthy elderly and mild cognitive impairment patients, yet a lot of research still needs to be done.

Not surprisingly, interest among the consumer public in brain training appears to be steadily rising. This has sparked the desire to develop innovative VR approaches to ‘brain fitness’. Ongoing scientific advances in various research fields do indeed support the notion of potential malleability of neural connectivity throughout the lifespan. In other words: the brain has the flexibility to adapt based on what we feed it. What if we would feed it with positive, near-real VR experiences?

Recent research¹⁷ has demonstrated that using virtual reality, especially in the cognitive domains of attention, executive function and memory (visual and verbal) yields the most consistent improvements. Follow-up studies have demonstrated long-term improvements in cognitive and psychological outcomes.