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Translating spatial navigation evaluation from experimental to clinical settings: The virtual environments navigation
Sophia Rekers1,2, Carsten Finke3,4
1Department of Neurology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany. sophia.rekers@charite.de.
Behavior Research Methods
|May 11, 2023
Summary
The Virtual Environments Navigation Assessment (VIENNA) is a new tool to evaluate spatial navigation skills. It is feasible, valid, and useful for assessing navigation in aging and neurological conditions.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Psychology
- Gerontology
Background:
- Spatial navigation deficits are common in neurological disorders and aging.
- Existing assessment tools are often complex, resource-intensive, and may confound motor skills with cognitive abilities.
- There is a need for efficient, valid, and user-friendly spatial navigation assessments for clinical settings.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce and evaluate the Virtual Environments Navigation Assessment (VIENNA), a novel tool for assessing spatial navigation.
- To determine the feasibility, construct validity, and cognitive correlates of VIENNA.
- To provide a clinically applicable tool for differentiated spatial navigation evaluation.
Main Methods:
- VIENNA, a virtual adaptation of a spatial navigation paradigm, was developed to be brief, intuitive, and require no interface device.
- The study involved 79 healthy middle-aged to older adults (50-85 years).
- Feasibility and construct validity were assessed through correlation with cognitive tests, subjective reports, and demographic data.
Main Results:
- VIENNA demonstrated feasibility and construct validity in healthy older adults.
- Visuospatial and executive functions, but not episodic memory or attention, correlated with VIENNA performance.
- VIENNA scores were associated with age and subjective navigation ability, independent of education or mood.
Conclusions:
- VIENNA is a time-efficient and informative tool for assessing spatial navigation without episodic memory demands.
- Its straightforward administration facilitates integration into routine neuropsychological assessments.
- VIENNA can aid in the differentiated evaluation of spatial navigation in diverse patient populations, including those with motor or memory impairments.
