System development guidelines from a review of motion-based technology for people with MCI or dementia

As the population ages and the number of people living with dementia or mild cognitive impairment (MCI) continues to increase, it is critical to identify creative and innovative ways to support and improve their quality of life. Motion-based technology has shown significant potential for people living with dementia or MCI by providing opportunities for cognitive stimulation, physical activity and participation in meaningful leisure activities, while simultaneously functioning as a useful tool for research and development of interventions. However, many of the current systems created using motion-based technology have not been designed specifically for people with dementia or MCI. Additionally, the usability and accessibility of these systems for these populations has not been thoroughly considered. This paper presents a set of system development guidelines derived from a review of the state of the art of motion-based technologies for people with dementia or MCI. These guidelines highlight three overarching domains of consideration for systems targeting people with dementia or MCI: (i) cognitive, (ii) physical, and (iii) social. We present the guidelines in terms of relevant design and use considerations within these domains and the emergent design themes within each domain. Our hope is that these guidelines will aid in designing motion-based software to meet the needs of people with dementia or MCI such that the potential of these technologies can be realized

Addressing the cyber safety challenge: from risk to resilience

Addressing the cyber safety challenge: from risk to resilience describes the cyber safety issues emerging from a range of technology trends, how different populations are using technologies and the risks they face, and how we can effectively respond to each group’s unique cyber safety needs. Written by the University of Western Sydney for Telstra Corporation Ltd, the report advocates for continuing to move cyber safety from a ‘risk and protection’ framework to one that focuses on building digital resilience, as well as fostering trust and confidence in the online environment. To do this we need to: Address the needs of populations often neglected by current policies and programs – including adults, seniors, parents, and small to medium enterprises Continue to build the digital literacy skills of all populations, because digital literacy strongly influences users’ ability to engage safely online – this is best achieved by a hands-on learning approach Keep risk in perspective – the risks and benefits of digital participation go hand in hand Broaden the focus from awareness-raising to long-term behaviour change. As digital technologies become further integrated into the everyday lives of Australians, users are potentially exposed to greater risks. However, the risks and benefits of digital participation go hand in hand. The challenge, therefore, is to support users to minimise the risks without limiting their digital participation and their capacity to derive the full benefits of connectivity. If Australians are to benefit as either consumers or providers of online services and products in the e-commerce environment, consumer safety and trust need to be improved. Cyber safety needs to be considered against a transforming backdrop of technology trends, products and practices. While the rise of social media has tended to dominate recent debate and developments in cyber safety, particularly in relation to young people, a range of other trends is also shaping how users engage online, the risks they potentially face in the new media landscape, and the strategies used to address them. These trends include the rise of user generated content and content sharing platforms; the uptake of mobile technologies and, in particular, the adoption of smartphones; cloud computing; platform integration and single sign-on mechanisms; and the rise of GPS and location based services

Sports in Digital Era

The thesis's primary purpose is to demonstrate the growth of the digital era on the sports industry for awareness and better management. Moreover, it aims to explain the digital technology revolution and its effect on physical activities and sports. The paper presents a social analysis of sports regarding the effects of the IV Industrial Revolution, driven by an unprecedented level of development in materials sciences, digital technology, and biology. The future views on the evolution of the sports industry and options for the sports manager in the phase of digital transition are illustrated. The conclusion summarizes the implications and represents the direction of the sports industry.O objetivo desta tese é demonstrar o crescimento da era digital na indrústia desportiva para a consciencialização e uma melhor gestão. Além disso, visa explicar a revolução tecnológica digital e a sua influência na atividade física e desporto. O documento apresenta uma análise social do desporto em relação aos efeitos da IV Revolução Industrial, impulsionada pelo sem precedente nível de desenvolvimento nas ciências materiais, tecnologia digital e biologia. O futuro da evolução da indústria do desporto e as opções dos gestores desportivos na fase de transição do digital. A conclusão resume as implicações e reflete a direção da indústria do desporto

Fall prevention intervention technologies: A conceptual framework and survey of the state of the art

In recent years, an ever increasing range of technology-based applications have been developed with the goal of assisting in the delivery of more effective and efficient fall prevention interventions. Whilst there have been a number of studies that have surveyed technologies for a particular sub-domain of fall prevention, there is no existing research which surveys the full spectrum of falls prevention interventions and characterises the range of technologies that have augmented this landscape. This study presents a conceptual framework and survey of the state of the art of technology-based fall prevention systems which is derived from a systematic template analysis of studies presented in contemporary research literature. The framework proposes four broad categories of fall prevention intervention system: Pre-fall prevention; Post-fall prevention; Fall injury prevention; Cross-fall prevention. Other categories include, Application type, Technology deployment platform, Information sources, Deployment environment, User interface type, and Collaborative function. After presenting the conceptual framework, a detailed survey of the state of the art is presented as a function of the proposed framework. A number of research challenges emerge as a result of surveying the research literature, which include a need for: new systems that focus on overcoming extrinsic falls risk factors; systems that support the environmental risk assessment process; systems that enable patients and practitioners to develop more collaborative relationships and engage in shared decision making during falls risk assessment and prevention activities. In response to these challenges, recommendations and future research directions are proposed to overcome each respective challenge.The Royal Society, grant Ref: RG13082

Exploring the Influence of Virtual Reality on Adults With Indications of Early Stage Dementia

Virtual reality (VR) has the potential to transport people to compelling worlds and bring positive spiritual benefits to persons with dementia and their caregivers. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to understand the influence of VR on participants with indications of early stage dementia. This study explored how five elderly participants in a Seattle-based Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) program experienced immersive virtual reality by means of a Windows Mixed Reality headset. Using an episode from the 2016 VR series, theBlu—a colorful and immersive underwater experience with soothing audio accompaniment—each participant spent up to one hour with the researcher viewing the VR content and engaging in a pre- and post- interview to discuss their spirituality and VR experience. The participants’ responses were audio recorded, transcribed, and coded from a spiritual care perspective, searching for moments of joy and connection. The six emerging themes included: connection to positive feelings, connection to beauty, connection to the present moment, connection to past memories, a desire for future engagement, and participant recommendations for VR content. The findings demonstrated that immersive VR offers the possibility for people to explore a myriad of exciting and awe-inspiring worlds, bringing beauty and peace while offering relational connection

A virtual reality game-like tool for assessing the risk of falling in the elderly

© 2019 The authors and IOS Press. This article is published online with Open Access by IOS Press and distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License 4.0 (CC BY-NC 4.0). In recent years, the use of interactive game technology has gained much interest in the research community as a means to measure indicators associated with the risk of falling in the elderly. Input devices used for gaming offer an inexpensive but yet reliable alternative to the costly apparatuses used in clinics and medical centers. In this paper, we explore the feasibility of using virtual reality technology as a tool to assess the risk of falling in the senior community in a more immersive, intuitive and descriptive manner. Our VR-based tool captures stepping performance parameters in order to fulfill the requirements of a well-established clinical test for fall risk assessment. The use of virtual reality allows for an immersive experience where elderly users can fully concentrate on the motor and cognitive functions being assessed rather than the technology being used

Designing the Learning Experiences in Serious Games: The Overt and the Subtle—The Virtual Clinic Learning Environment

: Serious Games are becoming more common in the educational setting and must pass muster with both students and instructors for their learning experience and knowledge building. The Virtual Clinic Learning Environment has recently been developed and implemented at East Carolina University using a design framework based on Bloom’s variables, and in the process of refining those design questions, identifies the methods of how serious games provide an overt and subtle learning experience. The overt learning experience is based in the design questions defined and the subtle experience was derived by examining the idea of sense of place as it relates to the virtual environment. By considering these two streams of learning, designers can avoid pitfalls and build on these design elements of a virtual learning environment

Effects of non-pharmacological or pharmacological interventions on cognition and brain plasticity of aging individuals.

Brain aging and aging-related neurodegenerative disorders are major health challenges faced by modern societies. Brain aging is associated with cognitive and functional decline and represents the favourable background for the onset and development of dementia. Brain aging is associated with early and subtle anatomo-functional physiological changes that often precede the appearance of clinical signs of cognitive decline. Neuroimaging approaches unveiled the functional correlates of these alterations and helped in the identification of therapeutic targets that can be potentially useful in counteracting age-dependent cognitive decline. A growing body of evidence supports the notion that cognitive stimulation and aerobic training can preserve and enhance operational skills in elderly individuals as well as reduce the incidence of dementia. This review aims at providing an extensive and critical overview of the most recent data that support the efficacy of non-pharmacological and pharmacological interventions aimed at enhancing cognition and brain plasticity in healthy elderly individuals as well as delaying the cognitive decline associated with dementia

Virtual reality application for rehabilitation

Aquest projecte té com a objectiu desenvolupar una aplicació de Realitat Virtual funcional per a la rehabilitació i el benestar de la gent gran en residències d’avis. El que es pretén és complementar el tractament de rehabilitació dels pacients mitjançant jocs de Realitat Virtual que els permetin realitzar moviments repetitius mentre es mouen per un entorn natural immersiu.Este proyecto tiene como objetivo desarrollar una aplicación de Realidad Virtual funcional para la rehabilitación y el bienestar de las personas mayores en residencias de ancianos. Lo que se pretende es complementar el tratamiento de rehabilitación de los pacientes mediante juegos de Realidad Virtual que les permitan realizar movimientos repetitivos mientras se mueven por un entorno natural inmersivo.This project aims to develop a functional Virtual Reality application for the rehabilitation and well-being of older adults in nursing homes. It intends to engage the patient in the rehabilitation treatment by means of Virtual Reality games. To play these games, the patient must execute repetitive movements while moving around in an immersive natural environment.Objectius de Desenvolupament Sostenible::3 - Salut i Benesta

Virtual reality application for rehabilitation

Aquest projecte té com a objectiu desenvolupar una aplicació de Realitat Virtual funcional per a la rehabilitació i el benestar de la gent gran en residències d’avis. El que es pretén és complementar el tractament de rehabilitació dels pacients mitjançant jocs de Realitat Virtual que els permetin realitzar moviments repetitius mentre es mouen per un entorn natural immersiu.Este proyecto tiene como objetivo desarrollar una aplicación de Realidad Virtual funcional para la rehabilitación y el bienestar de las personas mayores en residencias de ancianos. Lo que se pretende es complementar el tratamiento de rehabilitación de los pacientes mediante juegos de Realidad Virtual que les permitan realizar movimientos repetitivos mientras se mueven por un entorno natural inmersivo.This project aims to develop a functional Virtual Reality application for the rehabilitation and well-being of older adults in nursing homes. It intends to engage the patient in the rehabilitation treatment by means of Virtual Reality games. To play these games, the patient must execute repetitive movements while moving around in an immersive natural environment.Objectius de Desenvolupament Sostenible::3 - Salut i Benesta