The effect of a virtual reality based intervention on processing speed and working memory in individuals with ADHD—A pilot-study

Abstract

Introduction: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a virtual reality based intervention in processing speed and working memory in students with ADHD symptomatology.Methods: A randomized experimental study was conducted, with a sample consisting of 25 adult participants recruited from the Escola Superior de Saúde do Politécnico do Porto. The participants were allocated into two groups: a passive control group and an intervention group that completed 10 sessions using virtual reality-based games from the Enhance VR app. The intervention included 6 games: Whack-a-mole, Shuffled, Assembly, React, Memory Wall, and Maestro. The participants underwent pre- and post-intervention evaluations using the Southwestern Assessment of Processing Speed (SWAPS) and the Sequence of Letters and Numbers and Spatial Location of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale - 3rd Edition - WAIS-III. Descriptive statistics were used to characterize the sample and a mixed ANOVA was used to test the effectiveness of the intervention.Results: There was an improvement in the results of processing speed in the group exposed to the intervention (p < 0.001) and the value of the interaction between intervention and time was also significant (p = 0.004). There were no statistically significant differences between the participants’ working memory in the different variables under study, except for the values of the Spatial location test in the experimental group that improved relative to the initial assessment (p = 0.034).Discussion: A virtual reality cognitive training intervention resulted in improvements in the processing speed measures, which were not found in the control group. Although we cannot make the same conclusions regarding working memory, these results suggest that the VR intervention resulted in progress in the experimental group, possibly influenced by the intervention, which should be verified in future studies with longer interventions.

A preventive school-based paradigm using virtual reality technologies for improving emotional regulation, depressive and anxiety symptoms in children and adolescents (e-Emotio project): a randomized controlled pilot trial

“…To determine the necessary sample size for evaluating the study hypothesis through mixed between-within subject design, an a priori power analysis was conducted using Gpower 3.1 software. The analysis was based on similar research (Cunha et al, 2023) and aimed to achieve an 80% power for detecting a medium effect size ( partial η 2 = .06), with a significance criterion of α = .05. The results indicate that a minimum sample size of N = 134 participants is required to achieve the desired statistical power.…”

VR Gaming for Meta-Skills Training in Special Education: The Role of Metacognition, Motivations, and Emotional Intelligence

“…Studies also showed that participants could better exhibit flexible and selfregulated behaviors [78,86,88]. Their thinking abilities were also more flexible [85,89]. It is notable that positive feelings increased, resulting in an increased motivation to continue practice [78,86,87,90,91].…”

“…VRGs have a positive impact on mental operations that assure speed and flexible thinking [89]. A randomized experimental study evaluated the efficacy of VRGs on basic indicators for flexible and self-regulated thinking; namely, processing speed and working memory.…”

On Skill Transfer of Memory and Attention Technology-Based Training: A Scoping Review

“…Following a study of all 18 research papers, we discovered that 5 of them, accounting for a proportion of 27.7%, dealt with the topic of how attention training affects working memory. Overall, 4 out of 5 publications (80%) indicated improved working memory following attention training [11][12][13][14][15]. The most common form of technology was computer-based programs (60%, 3/5), wherein healthy younger and older adults were trained using a computerized mobile training application [12], children with autism spectrum disorder were trained using a computerized attention training program [13], and students in a primary school were trained using a computer-based training program [14].…”

“…The study proposed in [15] featured VR-based intervention. The VR games used were Whack-a-mole and Shuffled for attention, Memory Wall and Maestro for working memory, and Assembly and React for processing speed and task-switching/response inhibition skills.…”