first_pagesettingsOrder Article Reprints Open AccessArticle Can Virtual Reality Cognitive Remediation in Bipolar Disorder Enhance Specific Skills in Young Adults through Mirror Neuron Activity?—A Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Controlled Trial by Diego Primavera 1,†,Gian Mario Migliaccio 2,3,†ORCID,Alessandra Perra 1,*ORCID,Goce Kalcev 4ORCID,Elisa Cantone 1,Giulia Cossu 1ORCID,Antonio Egidio Nardi 5ORCID,Dario Fortin 6ORCID andMauro Giovanni Carta 1ORCID 1 Department of Medical Sciences and Public Health, University of Cagliari, Monserrato Blocco I (CA), 09042 Cagliari, Italy 2 Department Human Sciences and Promotion of the Quality of Life, San Raffaele Open University, 00118 Rome, Italy 3 Maxima Performa, Athlete Physiology, Psychology, and Nutrition Unit, 20126 Milano, Italy 4 The National Alliance for Neuromuscular Diseases and Neuroscience GANGLION Skopje, 1000 Skopje, North Macedonia 5 Institute of Psychiatry, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-901, Brazil 6 Department of Psychology and Cognitive Science, University of Trento, 38123 Trento, Italy * Author to whom correspondence should be addressed. † These authors contributed equally to this work. Appl. Sci. 2024, 14(18), 8142; https://doi.org/10.3390/app14188142 Submission received: 4 July 2024 / Revised: 5 September 2024 / Accepted: 6 September 2024 / Published: 10 September 2024 (This article belongs to the Special Issue Editorial Board Members' Collection Series: Applied Affective and Cognitive Neuroscience) Downloadkeyboard_arrow_down Browse Figure Versions Notes Abstract Introduction: Impairments in social cognition and cognitive deficits in bipolar disorder (BD) offer insights into the disorder’s progression. Understanding how interventions impact both cognitive and emotional aspects of social cognition is essential. This study examines the effects of virtual reality (VR) cognitive remediation on cognitive skills, stratified by age, in the early stages of the disorder. Methods: A secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial (RCT) compared the efficacy of VR cognitive remediation on cognitive skills between young adults (≤58 years) and older adults (≥59 years) in the experimental group with BD. Results: The experimental group included 39 participants: 24 ≤ 58 years and 15 ≥ 59 years. Young adults showed greater improvement in the Digit Span Backward (0.37 ± 0.35 vs. 0.07 ± 0.26, F = 9.882, p = 0.020) and Digit Symbol tests (3.84 ± 3.05 vs. 1.16 ± 3.8, F = 5.895, p = 0.020). Older adults improved more in the Frontal Assessment Battery (1.00 ± 0.95 vs. 0.54 ± 0.21, F = 5.295, p = 0.027), Matrix test (0.58 ± 0.35 vs. 0.37 ± 0.26, F = 4.606, p = 0.038), and Test of Tale (0.81 ± 0.36 vs. 0.42 ± 0.38, F = 10.115, p = 0.003). Conclusions: Young adults improved more in complex cognitive tasks, while older adults showed better results in simpler tasks. The effectiveness of VR may be due to hyperstimulation of mirror neurons. Further studies are needed to confirm these findings.
Can Virtual Reality Cognitive Remediation in Bipolar Disorder Enhance Specific Skills in Young Adults through Mirror Neuron Activity?—A Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Controlled Trial
Migliaccio, Gian Mario;
2024-01-01
Abstract
first_pagesettingsOrder Article Reprints Open AccessArticle Can Virtual Reality Cognitive Remediation in Bipolar Disorder Enhance Specific Skills in Young Adults through Mirror Neuron Activity?—A Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Controlled Trial by Diego Primavera 1,†,Gian Mario Migliaccio 2,3,†ORCID,Alessandra Perra 1,*ORCID,Goce Kalcev 4ORCID,Elisa Cantone 1,Giulia Cossu 1ORCID,Antonio Egidio Nardi 5ORCID,Dario Fortin 6ORCID andMauro Giovanni Carta 1ORCID 1 Department of Medical Sciences and Public Health, University of Cagliari, Monserrato Blocco I (CA), 09042 Cagliari, Italy 2 Department Human Sciences and Promotion of the Quality of Life, San Raffaele Open University, 00118 Rome, Italy 3 Maxima Performa, Athlete Physiology, Psychology, and Nutrition Unit, 20126 Milano, Italy 4 The National Alliance for Neuromuscular Diseases and Neuroscience GANGLION Skopje, 1000 Skopje, North Macedonia 5 Institute of Psychiatry, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-901, Brazil 6 Department of Psychology and Cognitive Science, University of Trento, 38123 Trento, Italy * Author to whom correspondence should be addressed. † These authors contributed equally to this work. Appl. Sci. 2024, 14(18), 8142; https://doi.org/10.3390/app14188142 Submission received: 4 July 2024 / Revised: 5 September 2024 / Accepted: 6 September 2024 / Published: 10 September 2024 (This article belongs to the Special Issue Editorial Board Members' Collection Series: Applied Affective and Cognitive Neuroscience) Downloadkeyboard_arrow_down Browse Figure Versions Notes Abstract Introduction: Impairments in social cognition and cognitive deficits in bipolar disorder (BD) offer insights into the disorder’s progression. Understanding how interventions impact both cognitive and emotional aspects of social cognition is essential. This study examines the effects of virtual reality (VR) cognitive remediation on cognitive skills, stratified by age, in the early stages of the disorder. Methods: A secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial (RCT) compared the efficacy of VR cognitive remediation on cognitive skills between young adults (≤58 years) and older adults (≥59 years) in the experimental group with BD. Results: The experimental group included 39 participants: 24 ≤ 58 years and 15 ≥ 59 years. Young adults showed greater improvement in the Digit Span Backward (0.37 ± 0.35 vs. 0.07 ± 0.26, F = 9.882, p = 0.020) and Digit Symbol tests (3.84 ± 3.05 vs. 1.16 ± 3.8, F = 5.895, p = 0.020). Older adults improved more in the Frontal Assessment Battery (1.00 ± 0.95 vs. 0.54 ± 0.21, F = 5.295, p = 0.027), Matrix test (0.58 ± 0.35 vs. 0.37 ± 0.26, F = 4.606, p = 0.038), and Test of Tale (0.81 ± 0.36 vs. 0.42 ± 0.38, F = 10.115, p = 0.003). Conclusions: Young adults improved more in complex cognitive tasks, while older adults showed better results in simpler tasks. The effectiveness of VR may be due to hyperstimulation of mirror neurons. Further studies are needed to confirm these findings.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
