Assessing the mental frame syncing in the elderly: a virtual reality protocol

Stud Health Technol Inform. 2014:199:153-7.

Abstract

Decline in spatial memory in the elderly is often underestimated, and it is crucial to fully investigate the cognitive underpinnings of early spatial impairment. A virtual reality-based procedure was developed to assess deficit in the "mental frame syncing", namely the cognitive ability that allows an effective orientation by synchronizing the allocentric view-point independent representation with the allocentric view-point dependent representation. A pilot study was carried out to evaluate abilities in the mental frame syncing in a sample of 16 elderly participants. Preliminary results indicated that the general cognitive functioning was associated with the ability in the synchronization between these two allocentric references frames.

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Aging / physiology*
  • Cognitive Dysfunction / diagnosis*
  • Diagnosis, Computer-Assisted / methods*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Memory Disorders / diagnosis*
  • Middle Aged
  • Pilot Projects
  • Virtual Reality*