Immersive Technologies for Cognitive Rehabilitation in Dementia and Mild Cognitive Impairment: Systematic Review
Abstract
Background: Cognitive decline across the mild cognitive impairment (MCI)-dementia continuum is a major driver of loss of independence and growing health- and social-care burden. Immersive technologies, such as virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and Cave Automatic Virtual Environment (CAVE) systems, are increasingly explored as tools to enhance engagement, personalization, and ecological validity in cognitive rehabilitation.
Objective: This systematic review synthesizes current evidence on the usability, therapeutic effects, and implementation challenges of immersive technologies for cognitive rehabilitation in MCI and dementia.
Methods: A systematic search of Scopus and Web of Science was conducted for peer-reviewed journal articles published between 2021 and 2026. Eligible studies investigated VR, AR, or CAVE interventions targeting cognitive rehabilitation outcomes in MCI and/or dementia and reported measures related to usability or acceptability, or cognitive, functional, or behavioral outcomes. Due to heterogeneity in technologies, intervention content, and outcome measures, findings were synthesized narratively with comparisons across modalities and study designs.
Results: In total, 119 studies met the inclusion criteria. Across immersive VR interventions, signals of benefit were most consistently reported for memory, attention, and executive functioning, with several studies also targeting outcomes with higher ecological relevance (eg, everyday task…
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Evidence Hub reads this as a systematic review, done in people. Its evidence level is 1 of 5 (Highest · pooled evidence). Pooled evidence from several studies sits at the top of the evidence pyramid.
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