Virtual reality to improve cognitive well-being

It is estimated that approximately halfhospitalized patients After discharge from the intensive care unit, they will suffer cognitive, psychological and physical consequences. This event is called Post-intensive syndrome and consists of a series of physical, cognitive or emotional difficulties resulting from stay in these units, which may persist until five years after symptoms appear.

Isolation from the family environment, the psychological impact associated with hospitalization, and certain medical procedures, among other factors, can increase feelings of loneliness, disappointment and fear, which has a negative impact on the mental health of these people. These problems affect not only the patient, but also himself. familiar surroundings, both because of the emotional demand and the high social, health and economic costs that it all causes.

INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGICAL TOOL

One of the risks this situation poses is chronificationand despite numerous measures taken to mitigate the problem, strategies have focused on prevention, today there are few of them. Because of this shortcoming, the project of the Research and Innovation Institute of Tauli Park (I3PT) was born, which developed an innovative neuropsychological therapy e-health is based on non-immersive virtual reality techniques designed specifically to adapt to the needs of critically ill patients and the intensive care unit environment.

To improve the quality of life of patients during their stay in the intensive care unit and reduce the incidence of cognitive and psychological problems after discharge, a clinical study will be conducted in critically ill patients to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of this technological tool based on gamificationwhich will be used as an adjunct to standard treatment during the intensive care unit stay.

“We will evaluate the impact of this intervention on the patient’s health status to confirm that the intervention is safe.”

To do this, the well-being, cognitive function and emotional state of those patients who received early cognitive stimulation and psychological support will be compared with a second group of patients who will receive only standard medical treatment.

“The hypothesis is that patients who receive complementary neuropsychological eHealth therapy will experience better outcomes than patients who receive standard medical treatment only. Likewise, we will evaluate the impact of this intervention on the patient’s health status to confirm that the intervention is safe,” he explained. Guillermo Navarraprincipal investigator of the project and associate professor at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of the Balearic Islands (UIB), associated with the research group on widespread mental disorders.

The project is led by the I3PT Translational Research Group focusing on critically ill patients. Josephine Lopez (group leader), Saul Fernandez, Marta Godoy AndMercedes Jodarand in which the Network Biomedical Research Center for Respiratory Diseases and Mental Health of the Carlos III Institute of Health also participates.