Computerized-assisted technology of virtual reality on memory in people with Williams syndrome

People with Williams syndrome (WS) have strong verbal short-term memory but challenged verbal long-term memory given their advantageous lexical semantics.

This study aimed to evaluate the memory of people with WS using virtual reality (VR) to determine the root of challenges associated with virtual navigation.

People with WS (n = 20, chronological age [CA] = 12.5, mental age [MA] = 8.9) were recruited. Four typically developing control groups participated in a navigation task in a shopping setting: CA-matched (n = 20, mean = 12.5), MA-matched (n = 20, mean = 8.8), the 5th graders (n = 20, mean = 10.3), and college students (n = 20, CS, mean = 20.2). Fourteen indices were measured and error patterns were analyzed across groups.

Based on the shopping task, if a participant did not follow the instructions and/or target list, an error was recorded and reported using the software. People with WS shopped the longest and erred the most. The CA group shopped longer and erred more than the MA group; the 5th graders were similar to the CS group. People with WS replaced and confused more than controls. Further analyses revealed atypical processing of the semantic features of the target items in people with WS. As control groups, the practice effect emerged through pause time and duration in people with WS.

The findings revealed that people with WS show bizarre lexical semantic knowledge, which may be an influential factor in impaired long-term memory and sentence comprehension. The practice effect seems to be an important factor in the rehabilitation potential of people with WS.

VR technology could be a promising tool for assessing memory and cognitive abilities in people with WS. With computerized-assisted technological advancements in training, people with WS can improve their long-term memory and sentence comprehension abilities with a specific design and aim for the target issue.