Predicting real world spatial disorientation in Alzheimer's disease patients using virtual reality navigation tests
Predicting real world spatial disorientation in Alzheimer's disease patients using virtual reality navigation tests
Spatial navigation impairments in Alzheimer's disease (AD) have been suggested to underlie patients experiencing spatial disorientation. Though many studies have highlighted navigation impairments for AD patients in virtual reality (VR) environments, the extent to which these impairments predict a patient's risk for spatial disorientation in the real world is still poorly understood. The aims of this study were to (a) investigate the spatial navigation abilities of AD patients in VR environments as well as in a real world community setting and (b) explore whether we could predict patients at a high risk for spatial disorientation in the community based on their VR navigation. Sixteen community-dwelling AD patients and 21 age/gender matched controls were assessed on their egocentric and allocentric navigation abilities in VR environments using the Virtual Supermarket Test (VST) and Sea Hero Quest (SHQ) as well as in the community using the Detour Navigation Test (DNT). When compared to controls, AD patients exhibited impairments on the VST, SHQ, and DNT. For patients, only SHQ wayfinding distance and wayfinding duration significantly predicted composite disorientation score on the DNT (β = 0.422, p = 0.034, R2 = 0.299 and β = 0.357, p = 0.046, R2 = 0.27 respectively). However, these same VR measures could not reliably predict which patients were at highest risk of spatial disorientation in the community (p > 0.1). Future studies should focus on developing VR-based tests which can predict AD patients at high risk of getting spatially disorientated in the real world.
Alzheimer Disease/diagnosis, Confusion, Humans, Neuropsychological Tests, Spatial Navigation, Virtual Reality
Puthusseryppady, Vaisakh
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Morrissey, Sol
26a99a30-ef99-4436-938c-aff296ca0c89
Spiers, Hugo
558afa7b-d842-4ca7-a66e-eff8e11f1538
Patel, Martyn
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Hornberger, Michael
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4 August 2022
Puthusseryppady, Vaisakh
2c245ba1-16d3-4d03-a825-6b1d9b47bf77
Morrissey, Sol
26a99a30-ef99-4436-938c-aff296ca0c89
Spiers, Hugo
558afa7b-d842-4ca7-a66e-eff8e11f1538
Patel, Martyn
f161ced7-afbf-4ddc-839f-8e8c39d8f25d
Hornberger, Michael
a48c1c63-422a-4c11-9a51-c7be0aa3026d
Puthusseryppady, Vaisakh, Morrissey, Sol, Spiers, Hugo, Patel, Martyn and Hornberger, Michael
(2022)
Predicting real world spatial disorientation in Alzheimer's disease patients using virtual reality navigation tests.
Scientific Reports, 12 (1), [13397].
(doi:10.1038/s41598-022-17634-w).
Abstract
Spatial navigation impairments in Alzheimer's disease (AD) have been suggested to underlie patients experiencing spatial disorientation. Though many studies have highlighted navigation impairments for AD patients in virtual reality (VR) environments, the extent to which these impairments predict a patient's risk for spatial disorientation in the real world is still poorly understood. The aims of this study were to (a) investigate the spatial navigation abilities of AD patients in VR environments as well as in a real world community setting and (b) explore whether we could predict patients at a high risk for spatial disorientation in the community based on their VR navigation. Sixteen community-dwelling AD patients and 21 age/gender matched controls were assessed on their egocentric and allocentric navigation abilities in VR environments using the Virtual Supermarket Test (VST) and Sea Hero Quest (SHQ) as well as in the community using the Detour Navigation Test (DNT). When compared to controls, AD patients exhibited impairments on the VST, SHQ, and DNT. For patients, only SHQ wayfinding distance and wayfinding duration significantly predicted composite disorientation score on the DNT (β = 0.422, p = 0.034, R2 = 0.299 and β = 0.357, p = 0.046, R2 = 0.27 respectively). However, these same VR measures could not reliably predict which patients were at highest risk of spatial disorientation in the community (p > 0.1). Future studies should focus on developing VR-based tests which can predict AD patients at high risk of getting spatially disorientated in the real world.
Text
s41598-022-17634-w
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Accepted/In Press date: 28 July 2022
Published date: 4 August 2022
Keywords:
Alzheimer Disease/diagnosis, Confusion, Humans, Neuropsychological Tests, Spatial Navigation, Virtual Reality
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 506478
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/506478
ISSN: 2045-2322
PURE UUID: bc015f9b-35a2-4363-a712-34f7fb5ca2e4
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Date deposited: 10 Nov 2025 17:32
Last modified: 11 Nov 2025 03:10
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Contributors
Author:
Vaisakh Puthusseryppady
Author:
Sol Morrissey
Author:
Hugo Spiers
Author:
Martyn Patel
Author:
Michael Hornberger
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