{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,8]],"date-time":"2025-12-08T16:02:55Z","timestamp":1765209775993,"version":"3.46.0"},"reference-count":31,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"23","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,28]],"date-time":"2025-11-28T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1764288000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["JCM"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background: The increasing prevalence of Alzheimer\u2019s disease and related dementia are a global problem generating social and economic burdens. Cognitive Stimulation Therapy is a non-pharmaceutical aid for people with dementia. In this context, digital and virtual reality approaches are underinvestigated, especially with respect to explorable open-world environments. The pilot aims to evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and safety of an immersive, open-world virtual reality application for people with dementia. Methods: We conducted a single-arm, unrandomised study with three male participants diagnosed with dementia. The intervention consisted of a single virtual reality session in an immersive, open-world environment, where participants were able to explore freely while seated, using arm movements and head control to navigate an avatar. Results: All three participants finished the session without the occurrence of adverse events. The mean session time was 28 min, and the average walking distance was 0.9 km, with 1210 steps on average. Questionnaire results indicate acceptance and a positive attitude toward the usability of the intervention. We measured minimal changes in mood. Anecdotal reports indicate high immersion and autobiographical stimulation. We detected no adverse events or occurrences of cybersickness. Conclusions: Immersive, open-world virtual reality proved to be feasible, safe, and well accepted by the participants. The combination of state-of-the-art hardware and exploration-based software design enabled cognitive and motoric stimulation. The results indicate strong feasibility for the application of exploratory three dimensional virtual reality applications and further support the execution of controlled trials to assess therapeutic outcomes.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/jcm14238465","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,8]],"date-time":"2025-12-08T15:30:07Z","timestamp":1765207807000},"page":"8465","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Immersive, Open-World Virtual Reality for Dementia Care: NeuroVRX Pilot Study"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"14","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1674-9967","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Martin","family":"Eckert","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Stabsstelle f\u00fcr Digitalisierung und Wissensmanagement, Hochschule Hamm-Lippstadt, 59063 Hamm, Germany"},{"name":"Fakult\u00e4t f\u00fcr Gesundheit, Universit\u00e4t Witten-Herdecke, 58455 Witten, Germany"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2695-0701","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Thomas","family":"Ostermann","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Fakult\u00e4t f\u00fcr Gesundheit, Universit\u00e4t Witten-Herdecke, 58455 Witten, Germany"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6306-4173","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jan Peter","family":"Ehlers","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Fakult\u00e4t f\u00fcr Gesundheit, Universit\u00e4t Witten-Herdecke, 58455 Witten, Germany"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0006-4402-4399","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Gregor","family":"Hohenberg","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Stabsstelle f\u00fcr Digitalisierung und Wissensmanagement, Hochschule Hamm-Lippstadt, 59063 Hamm, Germany"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,28]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2865","DOI":"10.1002\/alz.12901","article-title":"The worldwide costs of dementia in 2019","volume":"19","author":"Wimo","year":"2023","journal-title":"Alzheimer\u2019s Dement. 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