Ricerc@Sapienza

Population ageing raises crucial issues about the greater risks to develop age-related diseases (i.e. dementia). The most common form of dementia is Alzheimer's Disease (AD). During the last decades, many studies focused the attention on AD caregivers' (CGs) population, which is considered at higher risk of developing age-related diseases and social isolation due to daily living stress levels. In order to promote CGs psychological adjustment and their possibility to cope with this situation, according to Bandura's Social Cognitive Theory (SCT), self-regulative abilities, namely perceived self-efficacy, should be promoted. Our research proposal wants to exploit the advancement of new technologies to create a high immersion Social Cognitive theory driven virtual reality (VR) intervention addressed to caregivers population and to identify new algorithms returning feedback to users and operators, emerging data from different devices and tools. We aim to increase coping strategies and self-efficacy of CGs; to improve healthy lifestyles; and reduce risk of developing cognitive deficits improving indirectly AD patients quality of life.
AD caregivers (N=90) will be recruited and randomized in three groups to participate to three different kind of interventions: the first group will receive VR intervention, smartphone app services and the access on website. (VR+APP+INTERNET, N=30); the second group will be able to take advantage of smartphone app services and the access on website. (APP+INTERNET, N=30); the control group will not receive any intervention. (CONTROL GROUP, N=30). Furthermore, the relative AD patients will be evaluated (clinical, global cognitive status questionnaires).
We expected that the intervention will improve positive outcomes (coping strategies, self-efficacy) and reduce negative ones (stress level, unhealthy lifestyles, cognitive impairment) on CG participants and will improve the well-being of AD patients with CG involved in VR intervention.