Scoping Reviews
Completed
STUDY OVERVIEW
SUMMARY
As of 2021, VR was increasingly explored to support wellbeing in people with dementia, but there was no clear overview of how it was being used or evaluated. We conducted a scoping review to address this gap and describe the state of the research at the time. Eighteen papers (19 studies) were included and analyzed for outcomes, study design, delivery, and technical features of VR systems.
KEY FINDINGS
Most studies focused on emotional outcomes, finding generally positive or neutral effects on wellbeing. Fewer studies examined social engagement or personhood. VR approaches varied widely in design and delivery. Overall, findings suggest VR is a promising tool for supporting wellbeing in people with dementia. We identified a need for more tailored and customizable VR experiences, and for further research to better understand impacts across different populations and settings.
PUBLICATIONS
Ali, S., Alizai, H., Hagos, D., Rubio, S., Calabia, D., Jimenez, P., Senthil, V., & Appel, L. (2024). mHealth apps for dementia and Alzheimer’s disease: Scoping review. JMIR mHealth and uHealth. https://doi.org/10.2196/50186
Appel, L., Ali, S., Narang, T., Mozeson, K., Orchanian-Cheff, A., & Campos, J. (2021). Virtual reality to promote wellbeing in persons with dementia: A scoping review. Journal of Rehabilitation and Assistive Technologies Engineering, 8. https://doi.org/10.1177/20556683211053952
Garito, I., Patel, S., & Appel, L. (2025). VR applications in concussion assessment and rehabilitation: Rapid review. Technologies, 13(9), 418. https://doi.org/10.3390/technologies13090418
Lewis-Fung, S., Malik, K., Loat, J., & Appel, L. (2026). Serious VR games for dementia: Scoping review. LNCS XR Salento 2025. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-97778-7_19
Masoudi, K., Wong, M., Tchao, D., Reber, M., & Appel, L. (2025). VR in vision care: Rapid review. Technologies, 13(8), 342. https://doi.org/10.3390/technologies13080342