Brain games in a headset went with more regular days in bipolar disorder
Who it’s about: Adults, People with a health condition
- Mixed
Brain games in a headset went with more regular activity and social life than waiting, but not sleep or meals.
Small randomised trial of 64 adults with bipolar disorder in Italy · vs people on a waiting list with usual care · they rated themselves · ⚠ only counted people who finished
The study
Who took part
64 adults aged 18 to 75 with bipolar disorder at a hospital clinic in Italy were counted. 39 were in the training group and 25 in the waiting group. They were about 47 on average, and 2 in 3 were women. Only people who stayed to the end were counted.
What they did
The training group had 24 sessions of 45 minutes, twice a week for three months. Each session began with mindfulness and a short lesson on how the mind works. Then they did attention, memory and guessing tasks in virtual homes and streets, using a virtual reality headset. At the end they used what they learned for their own daily goals. The waiting group kept their usual medicine and doctor visits.
What happened
Overall, the training group's days became more regular than the waiting group's. This held for younger and older adults. Activity, time with others and body-clock timing improved, but sleep and meal times did not. This was a later look at a small trial. The results tables were missing from our copy, so we can't give sizes.
Source
Improving Social and Personal Rhythm Dysregulation in Young and Old Adults with Bipolar Disorder: Post-Hoc Analysis of a Feasibility Randomized Controlled Trial Using Virtual Reality-Based Intervention (2024)
DOI: 10.3390/jcm13133786 (opens in a new tab)Tools in this study
Action3
Train attention and memory with exercisesStructured cognitive remediation or brain-training exercises for attention, memory or planning.
Action4
Learn how the problem worksPsychoeducation about procrastination, habits, sleep, routines or ADHD.
