Fabiana Maria Gatti

VREPAR Projects: The Use of Virtual Environments in Psycho-Neuro-Physiological Assessment and Rehabilitation

Due, in large part, to the significant advances in PC hardware that have been made over the last 3 years, PC-based virtual environments are approaching reality. Virtual Reality Environments for Psychoneurophysiological Assessment and Rehabilitation (VREPAR) are two European Community funded projects (Telematics for health-HC 1053/HC 1055, http:// www.psicologia.net) that are trying to develop a PC-based virtual reality system (PC-VRS) for the medical market that can be marketed at a price that is accessible to its possible endusers (hospitals, universities, and research centres) and that would have the modular, connectability, and interoperability characteristics that the existing systems lack. In particular, the projects are developing three hardware/software modules for the application of the PCVRS in psycho-neuro-physiological assessment and rehabilitation. The chosen development areas are eating disorders (bulimia, anorexia, and obesity), movement disorders (Parkinsons disease and torsion dystonia) and stroke disorders (unilateral neglect and hemiparesis). This article describes the rationale of the modules and the preliminary results obtained.

“The future is ours too”: A training process to enable the learning perception and increase self-efficacy in the use of tablets in the elderly

ABSTRACT The generational digital divide can be understood as a response to the physical and psychosocial decline of older people. Recently, there has been interest in reducing the generational digital divide because of societal costs, and several studies state that tablets seem to help the elderly due to usability and functions that easily fulfill the elderly’s needs to be connected, independent, and autonomous: It could increase the elderly’s well-being. This article presents a training program that increases self-efficiency and enables the learning perception and use of tablets. A qualitative-dominant co-occurrent mixed-methods design was used to assess the perception that the participants (50 participants over 65 years of age) had of their own learning process and success in the course, as well as their digital self-efficacy. The results appear to partially reflect previous research; moreover, perceived changes in self-efficacy and learning can be tied to three core themes—empowerment, integration, and autonomy.

VREPAR 2: VR in eating disorders.

Virtual Reality Environments for Psychoneurophysiological Assessment and Rehabilitation (VREPAR) are two European Community funded projects (Telematics for health-HC 1053/HC 1055-http://www.psicologia.net) whose aim is (a) to develop a PC based virtual reality system (PC-VRS) for the medical market that can be marketed at a price that is accessible to its possible endusers (hospitals, universities, and research centres) and that would have the modular, connectability and interoperability characteristics that the existing systems lack; and (b) to develop three hardware/software modules for the application of the PC-VRS in psychoneurophysiological assessment and rehabilitation. The chosen development areas are eating disorders (bulimia, anorexia, and obesity), movement disorders (Parkinsons disease and torsion dystonia), and stroke disorders (unilateral neglect and hemiparesis). In particular, the VREPAR 2 project is now testing the eating disorders module on a clinical sample.

Learning to Use Tablets After 65: Auto-regulative Effects of a Training Program

Technology can play a part in the healthy aging process, helping people maintain their social life and remaining cognitively active. Individuals over 65 may have little or no knowledge on how to use technology, therefore they need to learn how to use it before being able to benefit from it. The aim of this paper is to test the efficacy of a digital education program in improving digital self-efficacy, self-esteem, and quality of perception of cognitive skills in older adults. Results show that digital self-efficacy significantly improves, while self-esteem and quality of life increase but not significantly after training. Perception of cognitive skills actually decreased or remain the same after the course.