Virtual Therapeutics for MCI

The current study aims to design, develop and test virtual therapeutics to train MCI spatial memory through virtual reality rehabilitation. 36 Participants will be randomly assigned to three different conditions: embodied low-end spatial VR training vs. the treatment as usual (TAU; i.e., visuospatial "paper and pencil" stimulation) vs. a non-embodied low-end spatial VR training. The three conditions will consist of at least 8 sessions of 30/40 minutes 3 times a week.

The study will measure changes in spatial memory, in particular in egocentric and allocentric memory. Each patient will be tested 3 times: 3 weeks before the pre-test (control waiting period), at the pre-test and after the intervention, namely post-test (3 time points).

Inclusion criteria

• a change in cognition recognized by patients or observers (Caregiver/examiner)
• an objective impairment in one or more cognitive domains using traditional neuropsychological tests;
• autonomy or slight dependence on daily life activities;
• absence of diagnosis of dementia
• absence of cognitive impairment measured by the mini-mental state examination;
• aged 65 or over

Exclusion criteria

• the presence of acute stroke/transient ischemic attack occurred in the 6 months prior to the enrollment visit;
• the presence of aphasia and/or neglect;
• the presence of other concomitants severe neurological/psychiatric diseases (e.g., hemiparesis, multiple system atrophy, muscular skeletal/orthopedic deficits that limit movement)
• the presence of physical and/or functional deficits;
• the comorbidity with severe neurological and/or psychiatric diseases (e.g., neoplasms, multiple sclerosis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Huntington's disease, schizophrenia, addiction, personality disorder, eating disorder) or with psychiatric conditions not under drug treatment (anxiety-depressive syndrome, bipolarism);
• the history of head trauma with loss of consciousness
• recurrent vertigo.