A Pilot Tool of the Virtual Scenario Initial Dementia Cognitive Screening (VSIDCS) with a Cultural Exhibition for Improving the Standard Traditional Test

Abstract

Dementia has become a serious global health problem for older people. In the past, primary screening for dementia was carried out by a paper test. These standard traditional tests (e.g., Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE)) have been used for many years. In addition to paper tests, is there another way to let people have better involvement and emotions during the test procedure? With the advancement of technology, the application of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) have changed and improved many medical technologies. However, there are few applications of VR and AR in dementia screening. The purpose of this study was to apply VR and AR to construct a pilot tool for virtual scenario initial dementia cognitive screening (VSIDCS) with a cultural exhibition, to achieve better involvement and emotions in participants. There were three operating interfaces designed for the system: a VR screening interface, cognitive board, and AR recognition interface. There were twenty-four middle-aged people (Female 10 and Male 14 between 50 and 65 years of age and with an average age of 58.7 years) selected for the test. The results of the experiments showed that VSIDCS test scores are consistent with those of the MoCA and MMSE. Additionally, VSIDCS can induce better involvement and emotions than the MoCA and MMSE. Participants showed better enthusiasm and more positive experiences during the VSIDCS test.