Guidelines for the Development of Immersive Virtual Reality Software for Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuropsychology: The Development of Virtual Reality Everyday Assessment Lab (VR-EAL), a Neuropsychological Test Battery in Immersive Virtual Reality

S. Collina Panagiotis Kourtesis Sarah E. MacPherson + 1 lainnya

10 Agustus 2020

Abstract Objective: The assessment of cognitive functions such as prospective memory, episodic memory, attention, and executive functions benefits from an ecologically valid approach to better understand how performance outcomes generalize to everyday life. Immersive virtual reality (VR) is considered capable of simulating real-life situations to enhance ecological validity. The present study attempted to validate the Virtual Reality Everyday Assessment Lab (VR-EAL), an immersive VR neuropsychological battery, against an extensive paper-and-pencil neuropsychological battery. Methods: Forty-one participants (21 females) were recruited: 18 gamers and 23 non-gamers who attended both an immersive VR and a paper-and-pencil testing session. Bayesian Pearson’s correlation analyses were conducted to assess construct and convergent validity of the VR-EAL. Bayesian t-tests were performed to compare VR and paper-and-pencil testing in terms of administration time, similarity to real-life tasks (i.e., ecological validity), and pleasantness. Results: VR-EAL scores were significantly correlated with their equivalent scores on the paper-and-pencil tests. The participants’ reports indicated that the VR-EAL tasks were significantly more ecologically valid and pleasant than the paper-and-pencil neuropsychological battery. The VR-EAL battery also had a shorter administration time. Conclusion: The VR-EAL appears as an effective neuropsychological tool for the assessment of everyday cognitive functions, which has enhanced ecological validity, a highly pleasant testing experience, and does not induce cybersickness.

E. Quinque S. Krohn A. Thöne-Otto + 11 lainnya

1 April 2020

Virtual reality (VR) represents a key technology of the 21st century, attracting substantial interest from a wide range of scientific disciplines. With regard to clinical neuropsychology, a multitude of new VR applications are being developed to overcome the limitations of classical paradigms. Consequently, researchers increasingly face the challenge of systematically evaluating the characteristics and quality of VR applications to design the optimal paradigm for their specific research question and study population. However, the multifaceted character of contemporary VR is not adequately captured by the traditional quality criteria (ie, objectivity, reliability, validity), highlighting the need for an extended paradigm evaluation framework. To address this gap, we propose a multidimensional evaluation framework for VR applications in clinical neuropsychology, summarized as an easy-to-use checklist (VR-Check). This framework rests on 10 main evaluation dimensions encompassing cognitive domain specificity, ecological relevance, technical feasibility, user feasibility, user motivation, task adaptability, performance quantification, immersive capacities, training feasibility, and predictable pitfalls. We show how VR-Check enables systematic and comparative paradigm optimization by illustrating its application in an exemplary research project on the assessment of spatial cognition and executive functions with immersive VR. This application furthermore demonstrates how the framework allows researchers to identify across-domain trade-offs, makes deliberate design decisions explicit, and optimizes the allocation of study resources. Complementing recent approaches to standardize clinical VR studies, the VR-Check framework enables systematic and project-specific paradigm optimization for behavioral and cognitive research in neuropsychology.

B. Sokołowska

25 Februari 2023

Innovative technologies of the 21st century have an extremely significant impact on all activities of modern humans. Among them, virtual reality (VR) offers great opportunities for scientific research and public health. The results of research to date both demonstrate the beneficial effects of using virtual worlds, and indicate undesirable effects on bodily functions. This review presents interesting recent findings related to training/exercise in virtual environments and its impact on cognitive and motor functions. It also highlights the importance of VR as an effective tool for assessing and diagnosing these functions both in research and modern medical practice. The findings point to the enormous future potential of these rapidly developing innovative technologies. Of particular importance are applications of virtual reality in basic and clinical neuroscience.

R. Sylvester Elise L. Radtke Joanna Kisker + 2 lainnya

25 Mei 2021

Virtual reality is a promising tool for experimental psychology, enhancing the ecological validity of psychological science. The advantage of VR is that it enables researchers to study emotional and cognitive processes under realistic conditions while maintaining strict experimental control. To make it easier for scientists to get into the world of VR research and to improve the comparability of scientific results, we have created and validated a standardized set of 3D/360° videos and photos. Study 1 investigated the electrophysiological differences between motivational and emotional reactions exhibited under immersive VR and conventional 2D conditions. The obtained frontal alpha asymmetries show diverge patterns between the two conditions giving rise to further speculations that associated psychological processes exhibit more natural functional properties under immersive conditions. The feeling of being at the center of a realistic VR environment creates a sense of self-relevance. In VR, motivational tendencies and emotional reactions are related to objects or persons within the vicinity of the participant and not to the stimuli presented on a screen. Study 2, investigating the memory performance for VR videos as opposed to a conventional 2D screen presentation, provides evidence that memory formed under immersive conditions created more profound memory traces. This so-called memory superiority effect for the VR conditions might again result from the feeling of being in a scene, thus facilitating the formation of autobiographical memory. The implementation of VR experiments using the database is straightforward as it does neither require much technical equipment nor a high level of VR expertise.

Athanasios Drigas Angeliki Sideraki

1 September 2024

This study explores neuroplasticity through the use of virtual reality (VR) and brain–computer interfaces (BCIs). Neuroplasticity is the brain’s ability to reorganize itself by forming new neural connections in response to learning, experience, and injury. VR offers a controlled environment to manipulate sensory inputs, while BCIs facilitate real-time monitoring and modulation of neural activity. By combining VR and BCI, researchers can stimulate specific brain regions, trigger neurochemical changes, and influence cognitive functions such as memory, perception, and motor skills. Key findings indicate that VR and BCI interventions are promising for rehabilitation therapies, treatment of phobias and anxiety disorders, and cognitive enhancement. Personalized VR experiences, adapted based on BCI feedback, enhance the efficacy of these interventions. This study underscores the potential for integrating VR and BCI technologies to understand and harness neuroplasticity for cognitive and therapeutic applications. The researchers utilized the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) method to conduct a comprehensive and systematic review of the existing literature on neuroplasticity, VR, and BCI. This involved identifying relevant studies through database searches, screening for eligibility, and assessing the quality of the included studies. Data extraction focused on the effects of VR and BCI on neuroplasticity and cognitive functions. The PRISMA method ensured a rigorous and transparent approach to synthesizing evidence, allowing the researchers to draw robust conclusions about the potential of VR and BCI technologies in promoting neuroplasticity and cognitive enhancement.