Validating the Neuro VR-Based Virtual Version of the Multiple Errands Test: Preliminary Results

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to establish ecological validity and initial construct validity of the virtual reality version of the Multiple Errands Test based on NeuroVR software as an assessment tool for executive functions. In particular, the Multiple Errands Test is an assessment of executive functions in daily life which consists of tasks that abide by certain rules and is performed in a shopping mall-like setting where there are items to be bought and information to be obtained. The study population included three groups: post-stroke participants (n ¼ 9), healthy young participants (n ¼ 10), and healthy older participants (n ¼ 10). The general purpose of the study was investigated through the following specific objectives: (1) to examine the relationships between the performance of three groups of participants in the Virtual Multiple Errands Test (VMET) and in the traditional neuropsychological tests employed to assess executive functions; and (2) to compare the performance of post-stroke participants to those of healthy young and older controls in the Virtual Multiple Errands Test and in the traditional neuropsychological tests employed to assess executive functions. Correlations between Virtual Multiple Errands Test variables and some traditional executive functions measures provide preliminary support for the ecological and construct validity of the VMET; further performance obtained at the Virtual Multiple Errands Test provided a distinction between the clinical and healthy population, and between the two age control groups. These results suggest a possible future application of such an ecological approach for cognitive assessment and rehabilitation of stroke patients and elderly population with age-related cognitive decline.

Break in volition: a virtual reality study in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder

“…the virtual version of MEt (VMEt) (Raspelli et al 2012) was composed by a virtual supermarket where users have a list of specific task, such as to buy products contained on shelves, like in a real supermarket. VMEt has been already used in clinical study involving patients (Raspelli et al 2009(Raspelli et al , 2012Carelli et al 2009).…”

“…VMEt has been already used in clinical study involving patients (Raspelli et al 2009(Raspelli et al , 2012Carelli et al 2009). the products were presented in categories including beverages, fruits and vegetables, breakfast foods, hygiene products, frozen foods, garden products and animal products.…”

“…In the VMEt procedure, there are a number of score to be recorded, namely time of execution, seven types of partial errors, total errors, partial tasks failures, inefficiencies, rule breaks, strategies and interpretation failures (Raspelli et al 2012).…”

Brain Damage: Neuropsychological Rehabilitation

“…Another promising and exciting recent application of computers involves the use of virtual reality (VR), which is producing novel and inventive procedures that benefit both assessment and therapy (Weiss and Klinger, 2009). For example, Raspelli and colleagues (Raspelli et al, 2010(Raspelli et al, , 2009(Raspelli et al, , 2012(Raspelli et al, , 2011) developed a VR version of the Multiple Errands Task (Shallice and Burgess, 1991) that simulates a supermarket. Assessing executive functions with traditional paper-and-pencil tasks is not completely satisfactory (Chan et al, 2008).…”

Assessing Cognition Post-Stroke using Virtual Reality Technology

“…Neuropsychological tests aim to characterise performance based on cognitive domains, which typically include language, attention, memory, processing speed, Virtual reality is a developing field that has been used to assess cognitive skills post-stroke (Simona Raspelli et al, 2012). Simulated real-life scenarios provide users with functional and meaningful tasks to measure cognitive performance, permitting options that are unavailable using traditional pen-and-paper testing methods (Parsons & Rizzo, 2008).…”