scholarly journals ASSESSMENT OF AGE-RELATED DIFFERENCES IN FUNCTIONAL CAPACITY USING THE VIRTUAL REALITY FUNCTIONAL CAPACITY ASSESSMENT TOOL (VRFCAT)

2015 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
A.S. Atkins ◽  
I. Stroescu ◽  
N.B. Spagnola ◽  
V.G. Davis ◽  
T.D. Patterson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Primary Prevention ◽  
Functional Capacity ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Capacity Assessment ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Preclinical Ad ◽  
Performance Based Assessment ◽  
Test Retest Reliability

Clinical trials for primary prevention and early intervention in preclinical AD require measures of functional capacity with improved sensitivity to deficits in healthier, non-demented individuals. To this end, the Virtual Reality Functional Capacity Assessment Tool (VRFCAT) was developed as a direct performance-based assessment of functional capacity that is sensitive to changes in function across multiple populations. Using a realistic virtual reality environment, the VRFCAT assesses a subject’s ability to complete instrumental activities associated with a shopping trip. The present investigation represents an initial evaluation of the VRFCAT as a potential co-primary measure of functional capacity in healthy aging and preclinical MCI/AD by examining test-retest reliability and associations with cognitive performance in healthy young and older adults. The VRFCAT was compared and contrasted with the UPSA-2-VIM, a traditional performance-based assessment utilizing physical props. Results demonstrated strong age-related differences in performance on each VRFCAT outcome measure, including total completion time, total errors, and total forced progressions. VRFCAT performance showed strong correlations with cognitive performance across both age groups. VRFCAT Total Time demonstrated good test-retest reliability (ICC=.80 in young adults; ICC=.64 in older adults) and insignificant practice effects, indicating the measure is suitable for repeated testing in healthy populations. Taken together, these results provide preliminary support for the VRFCAT as a potential measure of functionally relevant change in primary prevention and preclinical AD/MCI trials.

ASSESSMENT OF INSTRUMENTAL ACTIVITIES OF DAILY LIVING IN OLDER ADULTS WITH SUBJECTIVE COGNITIVE DECLINE USING THE VIRTUAL REALITY FUNCTIONAL CAPACITY ASSESSMENT TOOL (VRFCAT)

2018 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
A.S. Atkins1 ◽  
A. Khan ◽  
D. Ulshen ◽  
A. Vaughan ◽  
D. Balentin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Activities Of Daily Living ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Functional Capacity ◽  
Daily Living ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Subjective Cognitive Decline ◽  
Capacity Assessment ◽  
Instrumental Activities

Background: Continuing advances in the understanding of Alzheimer’s disease progression have inspired development of disease-modifying therapeutics intended for use in preclinical populations. However, identification of clinically meaningful cognitive and functional outcomes for individuals who are, by definition, asymptomatic remains a significant challenge. Clinical trials for prevention and early intervention require measures with increased sensitivity to subtle deficits in instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) that comprise the first functional declines in prodromal disease. Validation of potential endpoints is required to ensure measure sensitivity and reliability in the populations of interest. Objectives: The present research validates use of the Virtual Reality Functional Capacity Assessment Tool (VRFCAT) for performance-based assessment of IADL functioning in older adults (age 55+) with subjective cognitive decline. Design: Cross-sectional validation study. Setting: All participants were evaluated on-site at NeuroCog Trials, Durham, NC, USA. Participants: Participants included 245 healthy younger adults ages 20-54 (131 female), 247 healthy older adults ages 55-91 (151 female) and 61 older adults with subjective cognitive decline (SCD) ages 56-97 (45 female). Measures: Virtual Reality Functional Capacity Assessment Tool; Brief Assessment of Cognition App; Alzheimer’s Disease Cooperative Study Prevention Instrument Project – Mail-In Cognitive Function Screening Instrument; Alzheimer’s Disease Cooperative Study Instrumental Activities of Daily Living – Prevention Instrument, University of California, San Diego Performance-Based Skills Assessment – Validation of Intermediate Measures; Montreal Cognitive Assessment; Trail Making Test- Part B. Results: Participants with SCD performed significantly worse than age-matched normative controls on all VRFCAT endpoints, including total completion time, errors and forced progressions (p≤0001 for all, after Bonferonni correction). Consistent with prior findings, both groups performed significantly worse than healthy younger adults (age 20-54). Participants with SCD also performed significantly worse than controls on objective cognitive measures. VRFCAT performance was strongly correlated with cognitive performance. In the SCD group, VRFCAT performance was strongly correlated with cognitive performance across nearly all tests with significant correlation coefficients ranging from 0.3 to 0.7; VRFCAT summary measures all had correlations greater than r=0.5 with MoCA performance and BAC App Verbal Memory (p<0.01 for all). Conclusions: Findings suggest the VRFCAT provides a sensitive tool for evaluation of IADL functioning in individuals with subjective cognitive decline. Strong correlations with cognition across groups suggest the VRFCAT may be uniquely suited for clinical trials in preclinical AD, as well as longitudinal investigations of the relationship between cognition and function.

P4-340: PERFORMANCE-BASED ASSESSMENT OF IADL FUNCTIONING IN MCI AND MILD AD USING THE VIRTUAL REALITY FUNCTIONAL CAPACITY ASSESSMENT TOOL (VRFCAT): A PILOT STUDY

2006 ◽  
Vol 14 (7S_Part_30) ◽  
pp. P1597-P1597
Author(s):  
Alexandra S. Atkins ◽  
Anzalee Khan ◽  
Sarah Ellen Kelly ◽  
Chelsea Abraham ◽  
Daniel Ulshen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Pilot Study ◽  
Functional Capacity ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Capacity Assessment ◽  
Performance Based Assessment

scholarly journals Virtual Reality Functional Capacity Assessment Tool (VRFCAT-SL) in Parkinson’s Disease

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Travis H. Turner ◽  
Alexandra Atkins ◽  
Richard S.E. Keefe
Keyword(s):  
Parkinson’S Disease ◽  
Parkinson's Disease ◽  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Functional Capacity ◽  
Visual Memory ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Task Force ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Capacity Assessment

Background: Cognitive impairment is common in Parkinson’s disease (PD) and highly associated with loss of independence, caregiver burden, and assisted living placement. The need for cognitive functional capacity tools validated for use in PD clinical and research applications has thus been emphasized in the literature. The Virtual Reality Functional Capacity Assessment Tool (VRFCAT-SL) is a tablet-based instrument that assesses proficiency for performing real world tasks in a highly realistic environment. Objective: The present study explored application of the VRFCAT-SL in clinical assessments of patients with PD. Specifically, we examined associations between VRFCAT-SL performance and measures of cognition, motor severity, and self-reported cognitive functioning. Methods: The VRFCAT-SL was completed by a sample of 29 PD patients seen in clinic for a comprehensive neuropsychological evaluation. Fifteen patients met Movement Disorders Society Task Force criteria for mild cognitive impairment (PD-MCI); no patients were diagnosed with dementia. Non-parametric correlations between VRFCAT-SL performance and standardized neuropsychological tests and clinical measures were examined. Results: VRFCAT-SL performance was moderately associated with global rank on neuropsychological testing and discriminated PD-MCI. Follow-up analyses found completion time was associated with visual memory, sustained attention, and set-switching, while errors were associated with psychomotor inhibition. No clinical or motor measures were associated with VRFCAT-SL performance. Self-report was not associated with VRFCAT-SL or neuropsychological test performance. Conclusion: The VRFCAT-SL appears to provide a useful measure of cognitive functional capacity that is not confounded by PD motor symptoms. Future studies will examine utility in PD dementia.

scholarly journals F32. PSYCHOMETRIC AND PREDICTIVE VALIDITY OF THE VIRTUAL REALITY FUNCTIONAL CAPACITY ASSESSMENT TOOL (VRFCAT) IN INDIVIDUALS WITH CHRONIC SCHIZOPHRENIA

2019 ◽  
Vol 45 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. S267-S267
Author(s):  
Jean-Pierre Lindenmayer ◽  
Abraham Goldring ◽  
Anzalee Khan ◽  
Bronwen Foreman ◽  
Amod Thanju ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Predictive Validity ◽  
Functional Capacity ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Chronic Schizophrenia ◽  
Capacity Assessment

scholarly journals M24. Assessing Functional Impairment in Treatment-Resistant Schizophrenia Using the Virtual Reality Functional Capacity Assessment Tool (VRFCAT): A Pilot Study

2017 ◽  
Vol 43 (suppl_1) ◽  
pp. S220-S220
Author(s):  
Abraham Goldring ◽  
Jean-Pierre Lindenmayer ◽  
Anzalee Khan ◽  
Bronwen Foreman ◽  
Ran Yang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Pilot Study ◽  
Functional Capacity ◽  
Functional Impairment ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Capacity Assessment ◽  
Treatment Resistant

Internet Navigation Skills for Financial Management: Associations with Age, Neurocognitive Performance, and Functional Capacity

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samina Rahman ◽  
Victoria Kordovski ◽  
Savanna Tierney ◽  
Steven Paul Woods
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Functional Capacity ◽  
Financial Management ◽  
Internet Banking ◽  
Online Banking ◽  
Neurocognitive Performance ◽  
Younger Adults ◽  
Neurocognitive Functions ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Use Factors

Objective: Online banking is becoming increasingly common among older adults, whomay experience difficulties effectively navigating this instrumental technology. Thisstudy examined age effects on a performance-based Internet banking task and itsassociation with neurocognitive ability and functional capacity in older and youngeradults. Method: Thirty-five older adults and 50 younger adults completed anexperimenter-controlled online banking measure in which they independentlyperformed a series of naturalistic financial tasks (e.g., account transfers, bill paying).Participants also completed a standardized battery of neuropsychological tests andmeasures of functional capacity. Results: Older adults were markedly slower and lessaccurate in completing the Internet-based banking task, which was not confounded byother demographic, mood, or computer use factors. Higher scores on measures ofneurocognition and financial functional capacity were both strongly associated withhigher Internet-based banking task accuracy scores and quicker completion times inthe older, but not the younger adults. Conclusions: Findings suggest that older adultsexperience difficultly quickly and accurately navigating online banking platforms, whichmay be partly related to age-related declines in neurocognitive functions and basicfinancial capacity. Future studies might examine whether neurocognitive approaches toremediation and compensation can be used to improve online banking capacity inolder adults.

scholarly journals Using a Performance Based Assessment Tool of Everyday IADL to Determine Driving Risk in Older Adults

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 731-731
Author(s):  
Anne Dickerson
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Functional Performance ◽  
Cognitive Changes ◽  
Suburban Communities ◽  
Crash Rates ◽  
Specificity And Sensitivity ◽  
Driving Impairment ◽  
Two Samples ◽  
Performance Based Assessment

Abstract For older adults living in rural/suburban communities, driving is often their only means of transportation. Although considered safe drivers, drivers older than 70 years have higher crash rates with fatality rates amplified due to the increased frailty/fragility. However, research evidence clearly indicates that cognitive factors contribute to driving impairment in older adults. Occupational therapists, as experts in observation of functional performance, use the Assessment of Motor and Process Skills (AMPS), for measurement of performance in everyday activities using two scales (motor and process). Previously demonstrated as a sensitive tool for cognitive changes, this presentation will summarize the research outcomes between older adults with cognitive impairment (N=57+) and without (N=53) who completed a comprehensive driving evaluation. Analysis of the two samples using receiving operating curves suggests the AMPS has potentially excellent specificity and sensitivity, specifically AUC = 0.826(0.73-0.92) for motor, AUC = 0.909(0.84-0.98) for process, and AUC = 0.936(0.88-0.99) together. Part of a symposium sponsored by Transportation and Aging Interest Group.

A comparison of immersive virtual reality with traditional neuropsychological measures in the assessment of executive functions

2017 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 79-89 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sophie Melissa Clare Davison ◽  
Catherine Deeprose ◽  
Sylvia Terbeck
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Real World ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Immersive Virtual Reality ◽  
Neuropsychological Measures ◽  
Seating Arrangement ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Initial Work ◽  
Neuropsychological Tasks

ObjectiveThis study investigated immersive virtual reality (IVR), as a novel technique to test executive function of healthy younger and older adults. We predicted IVR tasks to have greater predictive power than traditional measures when assessing age-related cognitive functioning due to the real-world validity of the tasks.MethodsParticipants (n=40) completed the Stroop colour–word test and the trail-making test (TMT) as traditional and commonly used assessments of executive functioning. Participants then completed three IVR tasks; a seating arrangement task, an item location task (both set in a virtual chemistry lab), and a virtual parking simulator.ResultsYounger adults completed significantly more parking simulator levels (p<0.001), placed significantly more objects (p<0.001), and located significantly more items than older adults (p<0.01), demonstrating higher levels of performance. Significant correlations were found between performance on traditional neuropsychological measures and IVR measures. For example, Stroop CW performance significantly correlated with the number of parking simulator levels completed (τ=0.43, p<0.01). This suggests that IVR measures assess the same underlying cognitive constructs as traditional tasks. In addition, IVR measures contributed a significant percentage of the explained variance in age.ConclusionIVR measures (i.e. number of parking simulator levels completed and number of objects placed in the seating arrangement task) were found to be stronger contributors than existing traditional neuropsychological tasks in predicting age-related cognitive decline. Future research should investigate the implementation of these real-world-based tasks in clinical groups given this promising initial work.

Design Recommendations to Enhance Virtual Reality Presence for Older Adults

2017 ◽  
Vol 61 (1) ◽  
pp. 2077-2081
Author(s):  
Sean A. McGlynn ◽  
Wendy A. Rogers
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Virtual Reality ◽  
General Population ◽  
Design Recommendations ◽  
Advanced Technologies ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Older Users ◽  
Virtual Presence ◽  
Intended Effect ◽  
Design And Application

Virtual reality (VR) systems are becoming increasingly affordable for the general population. These technologies have potentially beneficial applications in a wide variety of contexts. Primary considerations for enhancing VR experiences in these contexts are the level of immersion enabled by the technology and the level of presence experienced by the user. Older adults are often overlooked during the design and application of VR technologies, even though these types of systems may help overcome certain aspects of the age-related challenges and limitations that they experience. The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the applications of VR for older adults and to identify characteristics of older users that could impact the way they experience these advanced technologies. This review culminates in design recommendations for increasing the likelihood that the immersiveness of the VR system has its intended effect on the experience of virtual presence for older adults.

scholarly journals A-028 Utilizing Virtual Reality to Assess the Relationship between Prospective Memory and Processing Speed

2020 ◽  
Vol 35 (6) ◽  
pp. 818-818
Author(s):  
Sawyer J ◽  
Barnett M ◽  
Bennett L ◽  
Donnell R ◽  
Flair A ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Prospective Memory ◽  
Processing Speed ◽  
Memory Performance ◽  
Adult Intelligence Scale ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Crucial Component ◽  
Memory Measure ◽  
Event Based

Abstract Objective Processing speed may partially mediate age-related differences in prospective memory (PM) abilities (West & Craik, 2001). The present preliminary study aimed to further investigate the relationships between prospective memory and processing speed by utilizing a novel virtual reality-based prospective memory measure. The task was designed to assess the impacts of a virtual environment would facilitate a deeper level of processing and enhance prospective memory performance. Method 49 older adults (M = 73.87, SD = 8.24) and 39 younger adults(M = 18.87, SD =1.61) completed the Coding subtest of the Weschler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS- IV) as well as a virtual-reality prospective memory measure that utilized both time-based and event-based cues. Results Coding was strongly correlated with PM time-based cues (r = .43, p &#60; .01) and event-based cues (r = .53, p &lt; .001). There were no correlations between processing speed and prospective memory in the young adult sample. Conclusion This study suggests that processing speed is strongly related to virtual-reality based PM and suggests that processing speed is a crucial component in prospective memory outcomes in older adults. This novel task virtual reality task may provide construct validity against other prospective memory measures.

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