Benefit of Virtual Reality Headset Use on Apathy in Older Adults With Major Neurocognitive Disorders

Overview

The goal of this clinical trial is to verify that virtual reality is tolerably compatible with apathetic pathologies in patients and residents with major neurocognitive disorders. The main questions it aims to answer are: * Does virtual reality have an impact on symptoms of apathy in the elderly? * Is virtual reality well tolerated by the elderly? Participants will benefit from a 3-session virtual reality headset program with a healthcare professional. They will have one session per week for 3 weeks. They will be observed by another professional, who will complete observation grids on apathy, engagement in activity and tolerance of the virtual reality headset. There is not a comparison group: Researchers will compare the scores before and after the intervention: the participant will be his own control.

This study is a multicenter interventional exploratory study in two nursing homes and a geriatric long-term care service. Thirty patients will be included. They will be recruited from residents of the long-term care departments of two hospitals, and 4 nursing homes. A pre- and post-intervention comparison will be made by assessing apathy using the apathy inventory and the neuropsychiatric inventory in the care team version. A comparison of participants' engagement will be carried out through ecological observation of the interventions. This will be objectivized by the Caregiver Interaction Behavior Scale (ECPAI) before the immersion program, and during the first and third virtual reality sessions. An ECPAI scale taken during a conventional animation prior to the program will establish a baseline state for the participant. The main goal is to verify that virtual reality is tolerably compatible with apathetic pathologies in patients and residents with major neurocognitive disorders.