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Puthusseryppady V, Cossio D, Yu S, Rezwana F, Hegarty M, Jacobs EG, Chrastil ER. Less spatial exploration is associated with poorer spatial memory in midlife adults. Front Aging Neurosci 2024; 16:1382801. [PMID: 38919601 PMCID: PMC11196421 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2024.1382801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2024] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 06/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Despite its importance for navigation, very little is known about how the normal aging process affects spatial exploration behavior. We aimed to investigate: (1) how spatial exploration behavior may be altered early in the aging process, (2) the relationship between exploration behavior and subsequent spatial memory, and (3) whether exploration behavior can classify participants according to age. Methods Fifty healthy young (aged 18-28) and 87 healthy midlife adults (aged 43-61) freely explored a desktop virtual maze, learning the locations of nine target objects. Various exploration behaviors (object visits, distance traveled, turns made, etc.) were measured. In the test phase, participants navigated from one target object to another without feedback, and their wayfinding success (% correct trials) was measured. Results In the exploration phase, midlife adults exhibited less exploration overall compared to young adults, and prioritized learning target object locations over maze layout. In the test phase, midlife adults exhibited less wayfinding success when compared to the young adults. Furthermore, following principal components analysis (PCA), regression analyses indicated that both exploration quantity and quality components were associated with wayfinding success in the midlife group, but not the young adults. Finally, we could classify participants according to age with similar accuracy using either their exploration behavior or wayfinding success scores. Discussion Our results aid in the understanding of how aging impacts spatial exploration, and encourages future investigations into how pathological aging may affect spatial exploration behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vaisakh Puthusseryppady
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Daniela Cossio
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Shuying Yu
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States
| | - Farnaz Rezwana
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Mary Hegarty
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States
| | - Emily G. Jacobs
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States
- Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States
| | - Elizabeth R. Chrastil
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
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Mancuso V, Sarcinella ED, Bruni F, Arlati S, Di Santo SG, Cavallo M, Cipresso P, Pedroli E. Systematic review of memory assessment in virtual reality: evaluating convergent and divergent validity with traditional neuropsychological measures. Front Hum Neurosci 2024; 18:1380575. [PMID: 38818031 PMCID: PMC11137286 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2024.1380575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2024] [Accepted: 05/03/2024] [Indexed: 06/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction The evaluation of memory is a crucial aspect of both cognitive research and clinical applications, as it offers valuable insights into an individual's cognitive wellbeing and performance. Conventional neuropsychological assessments represent the established method for assessing different aspects of memory. Recent technological advancements, specifically in the field of virtual reality (VR), have introduced novel methods for evaluating memory. Objective This systematic review aims to examine the current state of memory assessment using VR technologies, assessing the degree of convergence and divergence between VR-based memory assessments and conventional neuropsychological tests. Method A systematic review of the literature was conducted searching PubMed, PsycINFO, Web of Science databases, leading to the incorporation of 24 studies. Studies were grouped according to the examined memory domain (episodic, prospective, spatial domain). Convergence and divergence validity were examined for each, and information on software and hardware features was collected. Results This review demonstrates a notable alignment between VR-based memory assessments and conventional neuropsychological tests. Moreover, VR tasks have shown to exhibit associations with executive functions and overall cognitive performance. The inclusion of various ecological contexts, such as residential environments, commercial establishments, and simulated scenarios, serves to augment the ecological validity of memory evaluations conducted in VR. Discussion The findings indicate that VR assessments demonstrate a functional perspective by effectively capturing the dynamic relationship between memory, executive functions, and overall cognitive performance. Nevertheless, it is imperative to acknowledge and tackle certain constraints that may hinder the widespread adoption and utilization of VR tasks. These limitations encompass factors such as restricted accessibility to VR tasks and the presence of heterogeneity in VR hardware and software. The dynamic and ever-changing nature of VR technology presents a range of potential avenues for future investigation and utilization in the domain of memory evaluation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Eleonora Diletta Sarcinella
- Department of Psychology, Research Center in Communication Psychology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Sara Arlati
- Institute of Intelligent Industrial Technologies and Systems for Advanced Manufacturing–STIIMA National Research Council of Italy–CNR, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Marco Cavallo
- Faculty of Psychology, eCampus University, Novedrate, Italy
| | | | - Elisa Pedroli
- Faculty of Psychology, eCampus University, Novedrate, Italy
- Department of Geriatrics and Cardiovascular Medicine, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
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Brito DVC, Esteves F, Rajado AT, Silva N, Araújo I, Bragança J, Castelo-Branco P, Nóbrega C. Assessing cognitive decline in the aging brain: lessons from rodent and human studies. NPJ AGING 2023; 9:23. [PMID: 37857723 PMCID: PMC10587123 DOI: 10.1038/s41514-023-00120-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 08/31/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023]
Abstract
As life expectancy continues to increase worldwide, age-related dysfunction will largely impact our societies in the future. Aging is well established to promote the deterioration of cognitive function and is the primary risk factor for the development of prevalent neurological disorders. Even in the absence of dementia, age-related cognitive decline impacts specific types of memories and brain structures in humans and animal models. Despite this, preclinical and clinical studies that investigate age-related changes in brain physiology often use largely different methods, which hinders the translational potential of findings. This review seeks to integrate what is known about age-related changes in the brain with analogue cognitive tests used in humans and rodent studies, ranging from "pen and paper" tests to virtual-reality-based paradigms. Finally, we draw parallels between the behavior paradigms used in research compared to the enrollment into clinical trials that aim to study age-related cognitive decline.
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Affiliation(s)
- D V C Brito
- Algarve Biomedical Center-Research Institute (ABC-RI), Campus Gambelas, Bld.2, Faro, Portugal
- Algarve Biomedical Center- (ABC), Campus Gambelas, Bld.2, Faro, Portugal
| | - F Esteves
- Algarve Biomedical Center-Research Institute (ABC-RI), Campus Gambelas, Bld.2, Faro, Portugal
- Algarve Biomedical Center- (ABC), Campus Gambelas, Bld.2, Faro, Portugal
| | - A T Rajado
- Algarve Biomedical Center-Research Institute (ABC-RI), Campus Gambelas, Bld.2, Faro, Portugal
- Algarve Biomedical Center- (ABC), Campus Gambelas, Bld.2, Faro, Portugal
| | - N Silva
- Algarve Biomedical Center-Research Institute (ABC-RI), Campus Gambelas, Bld.2, Faro, Portugal
- Algarve Biomedical Center- (ABC), Campus Gambelas, Bld.2, Faro, Portugal
| | - I Araújo
- Algarve Biomedical Center-Research Institute (ABC-RI), Campus Gambelas, Bld.2, Faro, Portugal
- Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (FMCB), University of Algarve, Gambelas Campus, Bld.2, Faro, Portugal
- Champalimaud Research Program, Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - J Bragança
- Algarve Biomedical Center-Research Institute (ABC-RI), Campus Gambelas, Bld.2, Faro, Portugal
- Algarve Biomedical Center- (ABC), Campus Gambelas, Bld.2, Faro, Portugal
- Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (FMCB), University of Algarve, Gambelas Campus, Bld.2, Faro, Portugal
- Champalimaud Research Program, Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - P Castelo-Branco
- Algarve Biomedical Center-Research Institute (ABC-RI), Campus Gambelas, Bld.2, Faro, Portugal
- Algarve Biomedical Center- (ABC), Campus Gambelas, Bld.2, Faro, Portugal
- Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (FMCB), University of Algarve, Gambelas Campus, Bld.2, Faro, Portugal
- Champalimaud Research Program, Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - C Nóbrega
- Algarve Biomedical Center-Research Institute (ABC-RI), Campus Gambelas, Bld.2, Faro, Portugal.
- Algarve Biomedical Center- (ABC), Campus Gambelas, Bld.2, Faro, Portugal.
- Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (FMCB), University of Algarve, Gambelas Campus, Bld.2, Faro, Portugal.
- Champalimaud Research Program, Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Lisbon, Portugal.
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