Buele, Jorge
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Buele, Jorge
Main Affiliation
Ambato
Email
jorgebuele@uti.edu.ec
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Scopus Author ID
57200380202

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User Experience in Virtual Reality (VR) Applications for Elderly People with Cognitive Impairment and Dementia: A Scoping Review

2024 , Buele, Jorge , Avilés-Castillo, Fátima , Guillermo Palacios-Navarro

Background: In recent years, Virtual Reality (VR) has emerged as a promising tool to improve the well-being and functional capabilities of older adults. Although VR applications have shown positive results, their impact on user experience and therapeutic outcomes still needs to be evaluated. Objective: This scoping review aims to analyze existing studies on VR use in older adults with neurodegenerative disorders, focusing on the factors that influence usability, satisfaction, and immersion, as well as the effects on emotional and cognitive well-being. Materials and Methods: Empirical studies in English were included on VR applications applied to older adults with cognitive impairment without study design restrictions. The search was conducted in IEEE Xplore, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science, identifying a total of 650 initial results. After screening, 14 studies met the inclusion criteria. Results: Immersive VR tends to generate a greater sense of presence, which contributes to improving emotional well-being and reducing neuropsychiatric symptoms, such as apathy and depression. However, its impact on cognitive functions, including memory and executive skills, varied depending on the level of immersion and participant characteristics. Despite these positive findings, significant heterogeneity was evident in study designs, measurement instruments, and user experience indicators. Conclusion: Virtual environments have great potential as a therapeutic tool for older adults, but their success depends on the personalization of applications and the adaptation of technology to the specific needs of this population. Future research should focus on developing standardized protocols, incorporating adaptive technologies such as artificial intelligence, and evaluating the long-term effects of VR to maximize its benefits and minimize its risks. This review was registered in Open Science Framework (OSF). Registration Number: 10.17605/OSF.IO/PNU36

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Virtual Reality and User Experience: Current Trends and Future Challenges

2025 , Avilés-Castillo, Fátima , Buele, Jorge , Guillermo Palacios-Navarro

Virtual reality is an emerging and versatile technology that is gaining increasing interest from the scientific community, particularly regarding user experience. A review of the literature highlights the need for updated analyses that comprehensively address current trends in this field. The objective of this study is to analyze the evolution of scientific publications related to virtual reality and user experience, identifying trends, the most influential authors, relevant journals, and international collaborations, to provide a comprehensive overview. A bibliometric analysis was conducted using the Web of Science Core Collection database, identifying a total of 1,848 relevant publications. Network analysis techniques and Bradford’s law were applied, allowing for the examination of the distribution and impact of publications, as well as collaboration between authors and institutions. The results show an exponential growth in scientific output, particularly since 2019. While the United States leads in the number of publications, most of the influential authors are from Europe, with notable scientific output in Spain and Portugal. Current research hotspots include virtual reality applications in education and healthcare (over 70% of the analyzed publications), which align with Sustainable Development Goals, particularly 3 and 4. Trends indicate a shift towards integrating virtual reality with artificial intelligence, adaptive systems, and multisensory interaction to enhance immersion and usability. Challenges include a lack of standardized methodologies to assess immersion, presence, and cognitive load, which limits comparisons across studies and hinders the development of best practices. Future research should focus on refining interaction paradigms, improving accessibility, and developing ethical frameworks that respect data privacy and protect the user from cybersickness and the psychological effects of prolonged virtual reality exposure.

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