Comparison of Traditional and Virtual Reality-Based Episodic Memory Performance in Clinical and Non-Clinical Cohorts

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Cognitive Psychology
• Gerontology

Background:

• Episodic memory assessment is crucial for understanding cognitive aging and neurocognitive disorders.
• The California Verbal Learning Test, Second Edition (CVLT-II) and Virtual Environment Grocery Store (VEGS) are tools for evaluating episodic memory.
• Prior research supports the construct validity of these tools, but their comparative performance and independence from executive functions require further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To replicate construct validity of CVLT-II and VEGS in young and healthy older adults.
• To extend construct validity to older adults with neurocognitive diagnoses.
• To compare performance between CVLT-II and VEGS across groups and validate their independence from executive functioning measures.

Main Methods:

• Administered CVLT-II, VEGS, and D-KEFS CWIT to typically developing young adults (n=53), healthy older adults (n=85), and older adults with neurocognitive diagnoses (n=18).
• Utilized list learning and recognition tasks within both CVLT-II and VEGS.
• Assessed executive functioning using the D-KEFS CWIT.

Main Results:

• High correlations were observed between CVLT-II and VEGS measures across all participant groups.
• Participants, especially older adults, recalled fewer items on the VEGS compared to the CVLT-II.
• CVLT-II and VEGS performance demonstrated general independence from D-KEFS CWIT executive functioning measures.

Conclusions:

• VEGS may present a greater challenge than CVLT-II, potentially due to the word length effect and environmental distractors.
• Both CVLT-II and VEGS are valid measures of episodic memory and are largely independent of executive functioning.
• Findings support the use of both CVLT-II and VEGS in assessing episodic memory across different adult populations.