FRAILTY VR: VR for the Rehabilitation of Frailty in the Elderly

Frailty is a preclinical condition that worsens physical health and quality of life. One of the most frequent symptoms of frailty is an increased risk of falling. It is estimated that one out of three elderly people falls at least once a year, with important consequences both for the autonomy of the individual and for the cognitive functioning and quality of life. To reduce this risk, the Italian-supported (Ministry of Health PE-2013-02355948) Frailty VR project is developing an innovative virtual reality (VR) motor rehabilitation program based on an immersive tool: a cycle-ergometer integrated in an immersive VR system (a four-screen CAVE), which allows combining motor and cognitive exercises according to a “dual-task” paradigm.