VRSingTogether: Digital therapeutic virtual reality tool to mitigate the effects of Alzheimer's Disease (AD) and Alzheimer's-Disease-Related Dementias (ADRD)

Project Summary One in three seniors die with Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) or Alzheimer’s Disease related dementias (ADRD). More than six million Americans are living with AD and by 2050 this number is projected to rise to nearly 13 million. The economic costs of AD are significant, with 355 billion in national costs for caring for people with AD and ADRD. Disconcertingly, there is also an estimated 256 billion in care provided by family members and other unpaid caregivers. These statistics illustrate the necessity for scalable strategies and interventions to delay the onset of and halt the progression of, AD and ADRD. Indeed, a 2020 report by the Lancet indicated that 40% of dementia cases could be prevented by modifying lifestyle factors; with a recommendation for individuals to maintain cognitive, physical, and social activity through midlife and beyond. Crucially, interventions should be initiated as early in the disease process as possible—in those with normal cognition or only mild cognitive impairment (MCI)—as the effects of lifestyle factors on dementia onset are cumulative. In fact, the MCI designation itself was developed to signal that a patient is at higher risk for AD/ADRD, prompting enhanced care. Importantly, existing solutions leveraging technology lack the ability to combine physical, cognitive, and social modalities together due to the inability to foster meaningful social connection and co-presence. In-person programs can foster meaningful social connections and co-presence. Unfortunately, these solutions are only accessible to those with the time, money, and geography to have access, and furthermore, these solutions cannot scale effectively. To address the significant unmet need for a multi-modal intervention to delay the onset of and halt the progression of AD and ADRD, RalphVR is developing VRSingTogether, a scalable digital therapeutic that fosters social engagement, mental activity, and physical activity with music, singing, and light physical activity through rhythmic elements in a collaborative and shared virtual space. VRSingTogether is a networked (multi-user) VR application to be offered on low-cost commercially available VR headsets. RalphVR is applying for this NIA Phase I SBIR to achieve three Specific Aims. Aim 1: Employ a focus group of experts to generate critical insights for RalphVR to develop a design document. Aim 2: Develop the VRSingTogether prototype. Aim 3: Investigate the feasibility and usability of VRSingTogether in patients with age-related MCI (≥65 years of age) and the individuals who care for them (≥18 years of age). Three long-term objectives must be met to bring VRTogether to market: 1) determine the feasibility of VRSingTogether to mitigate the effects of AD and ADRD, 2) determine VRSingTogether’s efficacy to promote light physical, cognitive, and social activity, and 3) determine the efficacy of VRSingTogether as an intervention to slow or halt the onset of AD and ADRD. Successfully completing the long-term goals and aims will result in a clinically validated scalable and low-cost intervention to mitigate the effects of AD and ADRD.