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CC BY 4.0 · Arq Neuropsiquiatr 2023; 81(01): 019-026
DOI: 10.1055/s-0042-1759762
Original Article

Applicability of an immersive virtual reality system to assess egocentric orientation of older adults

Aplicabilidade de um sistema de realidade virtual imersivo para avaliar a orientação egocêntrica de idosos
Juliana Magalhães da Silva 
1   Universidade de São Paulo, Departamento de Fisioterapia, Faculdade de Medicina, Fonoaudiologia e Terapia Ocupacional, São Paulo SP, Brazil.
,
Michelle Didone dos Santos 
1   Universidade de São Paulo, Departamento de Fisioterapia, Faculdade de Medicina, Fonoaudiologia e Terapia Ocupacional, São Paulo SP, Brazil.
,
Raquel Quimas Molina da Costa 
2   Universidade de São Paulo, Departamento de Neurologia, Faculdade de Medicina, São Paulo SP, Brazil.
,
Emerson Galves Moretto 
3   Universidade de São Paulo, Departamento de Engenharia de Sistemas Eletrônicos, Escola Politécnica, São Paulo SP, Brazil.
,
Larissa Alamino Pereira de Viveiro 
1   Universidade de São Paulo, Departamento de Fisioterapia, Faculdade de Medicina, Fonoaudiologia e Terapia Ocupacional, São Paulo SP, Brazil.
,
Roseli de Deus Lopes 
3   Universidade de São Paulo, Departamento de Engenharia de Sistemas Eletrônicos, Escola Politécnica, São Paulo SP, Brazil.
,
Sonia Maria Dozzi Brucki 
2   Universidade de São Paulo, Departamento de Neurologia, Faculdade de Medicina, São Paulo SP, Brazil.
,
José Eduardo Pompeu 
1   Universidade de São Paulo, Departamento de Fisioterapia, Faculdade de Medicina, Fonoaudiologia e Terapia Ocupacional, São Paulo SP, Brazil.
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Abstract

Background Spatial orientation is a cognitive domain frequently compromised in patients with Alzheimer disease (AD) and may be one of its first clinical manifestations. Some studies have shown that allocentric integration with egocentric spatial information seems to be impaired in this pathology. There is no consensus on how best to assess spatial orientation and traditional tests lack ecological validity, but, recently, virtual reality (VR) has provided new opportunities for this assessment.

Objectives To analyze the applicability and stability of an immersive virtual task developed to assess spatial orientation, the Spatial Orientation in Immersive Virtual Environment Maze Test (SOIVET-Maze) in older adults with and without mild cognitive impairment.

Methods Forty-three older adults were included in the study, 24 without cognitive impairment and 19 with mild cognitive impairment. Applicability was assessed by the Witmer and Singer Sense of Presence Questionnaire and a questionnaire for adverse events of cybersickness. To assess stability, participants were assessed twice with an interval of 7 to 14 days, and the intraclass correlation coefficient was calculated between visits. The t test or the Mann-Whitney test was used to compare applicability and stability between groups.

Results There was no significant difference between the groups regarding applicability. A strong correlation between the first and second day of testing was found in the mild cognitive impairment group.

Conclusion The SOIVET-Maze task showed excellent applicability and good stability, favoring its clinical application for the evaluation of spatial orientation in older adults.

Resumo

Antecedentes A orientação espacial é um domínio cognitivo frequentemente comprometido em pacientes com doença de Alzheimer (DA) e pode ser uma das suas primeiras manifestações clínicas. Alguns estudos demonstraram que a integração alocêntrica com informações espaciais egocêntricas parece prejudicada nessa patologia. Não há um consenso sobre qual a melhor forma de avaliar a orientação espacial e os testes tradicionais carecem de validade ecológica; porém, recentemente, a realidade virtual (RV) proporcionou novas oportunidades para esta avaliação.

Objetivos Analisar a aplicabilidade e estabilidade de uma tarefa virtual imersiva desenvolvida para avaliar a orientação espacial, o Spatial Orientation in Immersive Virtual Environment Maze Test (SOIVET-Maze) em idosos com e sem comprometimento cognitivo leve.

Métodos Quarenta e três idosos foram incluídos no estudo, 24 sem comprometimento cognitivo e 19 com comprometimento cognitivo leve. A aplicabilidade foi avaliada pelo Witmer and Singer Sense of Presence Questionnaire e um questionário para eventos adversos de cybersickness. Para avaliar a estabilidade, os participantes foram avaliados 2 vezes com intervalo de 7 a 14 dias, e o coeficiente de correlação intraclasse foi calculado entre as visitas. O teste t ou o teste de Mann-Whitney foi utilizado para comparar a aplicabilidade e estabilidade entre os grupos.

Resultados Não houve diferença significativa entre os grupos quanto à aplicabilidade. Uma forte correlação entre o primeiro e o segundo dia de teste foi encontrada no grupo de comprometimento cognitivo leve.

Conclusão A tarefa SOIVET-Maze apresentou excelente aplicabilidade e boa estabilidade, favorecendo sua aplicação clínica para avaliação da orientação espacial em idosos.

Keywords

Orientation, Spatial - Virtual Reality - Aged - Reproducibility of Results - Data Accuracy

Palavras-chave

Orientação Espacial - Realidade Virtual - Idoso - Reprodutibilidade dos Testes - Confiabilidade dos Dados

Authors' Contributions

JMS, MDS, RQMC: participated in the design of the project, data collection, data analysis, and writing of the article; EGM: participated in the elaboration of the project, creation of the immersive system, and writing of the article; LAPV, RDL: participated in the writing of the article; SMDB: participated in the preparation of the project, in the review and writing of the project and the article; JEP: guided all stages of the work, preparation of the project, participated in the review and writing of the project and article.


Support

Fundação de Apoio à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP, in the Portuguese acronym) (processes: 2014 / 22348-1 and 16 / 04984-3). Author Juliana Magalhães da Silva received a Master's scholarship from the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES, in the Portuguese acronym) (process 88887.475608 / 2020-00).




Publication History

Received: 24 February 2022

Accepted: 18 May 2022

Article published online:
14 March 2023

© 2023. Academia Brasileira de Neurologia. This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

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