AULA—Advanced Virtual Reality Tool for the Assessment of Attention

Iriarte, Yahaira; Díaz-Orueta, Unai; Cueto, Eduardo García; Irazustabarrena, Paula; Banterla, Flavio; Climent, Gema

doi:10.1177/1087054712465335

Cited by 94 publications

(96 citation statements)

References 25 publications

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“…When analyzing specific tasks, in the X-task, both visual correct answers (m boys = 25.18 vs. m girls = 39.70; U = 154.5; p < .01) and visual commissions (m boys = 32.82 vs. m girls = 18.30; U = 154.5; p < .01) showed significant differences in favor of girls. These results match to some extent those found for the general population in the normative study of the AULA (Iriarte et al, 2012), where it was found a general pattern of gender differences showing a trend to faster answers (both correct and incorrect) for boys in most of the age groups, as well as greater motor activity.…”

Section: Differences By Gendersupporting

confidence: 88%

“…During the No-X task, which is intended to generate an overstimulation, there are nine distractors, with a sequence that alternates two visual, three auditory, and four combined distractors; on the contrary, during X-task, thought to generate hypoactivation, there are only seven (two visual, three auditory and only one combined distractor). All measures of the AULA (general, visual vs. auditory, with and without distractors, and No-X and X task-specific measures) are detailed in the normative study with general population between 6 and 16 years old, recently published (Iriarte et al, 2012). Downloaded by [Temple University Libraries] at 20:51 18 November 2014 Procedure Initial recruitment took place at the Clinica Universidad de Navarra in Spain, and participants were chosen based on their medical history of ADHD symptoms as well as on the need to apply a neuropsychological evaluation exploring attentional functions.…”

Section: Differences Between Aula Nesplora (Aula) and Conners' Cpt Stmentioning

confidence: 99%

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AULA virtual reality test as an attention measure: Convergent validity with Conners’ Continuous Performance Test

Díaz-Orueta¹,

García-López

Crespo-Eguílaz

et al. 2013

Child Neuropsychology

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127

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The majority of neuropsychological tests used to evaluate attention processes in children lack ecological validity. The AULA Nesplora (AULA) is a continuous performance test, developed in a virtual setting, very similar to a school classroom. The aim of the present study is to analyze the convergent validity between the AULA and the Continuous Performance Test (CPT) of Conners. The AULA and CPT were administered correlatively to 57 children, aged 6-16 years (26.3% female) with average cognitive ability (IQ mean = 100.56, SD = 10.38) who had a diagnosis of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) according to DSM-IV-TR criteria. Spearman correlations analyses were conducted among the different variables. Significant correlations were observed between both tests in all the analyzed variables (omissions, commissions, reaction time, and variability of reaction time), including for those measures of the AULA based on different sensorial modalities, presentation of distractors, and task paradigms. Hence, convergent validity between both tests was confirmed. Moreover, the AULA showed differences by gender and correlation to Perceptual Reasoning and Working Memory indexes of the WISC-IV, supporting the relevance of IQ measures in the understanding of cognitive performance in ADHD. In addition, the AULA (but not Conners' CPT) was able to differentiate between ADHD children with and without pharmacological treatment for a wide range of measures related to inattention, impulsivity, processing speed, motor activity, and quality of attention focus. Additional measures and advantages of the AULA versus Conners' CPT are discussed.

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Section: Differences By Gendersupporting

confidence: 88%

Section: Differences Between Aula Nesplora (Aula) and Conners' Cpt Stmentioning

confidence: 99%

AULA virtual reality test as an attention measure: Convergent validity with Conners’ Continuous Performance Test

Díaz-Orueta¹,

García-López

Crespo-Eguílaz

et al. 2013

Child Neuropsychology

Self Cite

127

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“…We can find in the literature relevant contributions addressing the study of different cognitive areas through video games and serious games, including episodic memory (Plancher et al, 2012; Sauzéon et al, 2015; Jebara et al, 2014; Díaz-Orueta et al, 2014), attention (Díaz-Orueta et al, 2014; Iriarte et al, 2016; S et al, 2014), working memory (Atkins et al, 2014; Hagler, Jimison & Pavel, 2014) and executive functions (Werner et al, 2009; Nolin et al, 2013) among others. The works referenced tackle a specific aspect of the broader topic of the introduction of games in neuroscience to detect mental disorders such as Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) (Nolin et al, 2013; Raspelli et al, 2011; Werner et al, 2009; Aalbers et al, 2013; Tarnanas et al, 2013; Kawahara et al, 2015; Fukui et al, 2015), Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) (Tarnanas et al, 2013; Kawahara et al, 2015; Fukui et al, 2015), Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) (Wilson et al, 1989; Canty et al, 2014), Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) (Attree, Dancey & Pope, 2009), or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) (Parsons et al, 2007; Pollak et al, 2009).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Design process and preliminary psychometric study of a video game to detect cognitive impairment in senior adults

Valladares-Rodríguez

Pérez‐Rodríguez

Facal

et al. 2017

PeerJ

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IntroductionAssessment of episodic memory has been traditionally used to evaluate potential cognitive impairments in senior adults. Typically, episodic memory evaluation is based on personal interviews and pen-and-paper tests. This article presents the design, development and a preliminary validation of a novel digital game to assess episodic memory intended to overcome the limitations of traditional methods, such as the cost of its administration, its intrusive character, the lack of early detection capabilities, the lack of ecological validity, the learning effect and the existence of confounding factors.Materials and MethodsOur proposal is based on the gamification of the California Verbal Learning Test (CVLT) and it has been designed to comply with the psychometric characteristics of reliability and validity. Two qualitative focus groups and a first pilot experiment were carried out to validate the proposal.ResultsA more ecological, non-intrusive and better administrable tool to perform cognitive assessment was developed. Initial evidence from the focus groups and pilot experiment confirmed the developed game’s usability and offered promising results insofar its psychometric validity is concerned. Moreover, the potential of this game for the cognitive classification of senior adults was confirmed, and administration time is dramatically reduced with respect to pen-and-paper tests.LimitationsAdditional research is needed to improve the resolution of the game for the identification of specific cognitive impairments, as well as to achieve a complete validation of the psychometric properties of the digital game.ConclusionInitial evidence show that serious games can be used as an instrument to assess the cognitive status of senior adults, and even to predict the onset of mild cognitive impairments or Alzheimer’s disease.

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“…Nevertheless, comparison studies on different hand controllers showed that the more familiar, like mouse, keyboards, and VR controllers, provided a best performance, although the participants appreciated a more natural interaction (McMahan et al, 2010). Third, the no user isolation from real-world in AR could allow a more real experience, allowing an immediate transferring of the behavioral performance in the real-life (Dunkin et al, 2007;Seymour, 2008;Saposnik et al, 2010 Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in children (Diaz-Orueta et al, 2012;Iriarte et al, 2016;Nolin et al, 2016;Pollak et al, 2009;Rizzo et al, 2000). To provide a realistic assessment environment, the virtual classroom included a typical rectangular classroom with desks, blackboard, a virtual teacher, and in which participants should perform various attentional and inhibition tasks based on the traditional Continuous Performance Task.…”

Section: Atsna: Virtual Reality and Augmented Realitymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…To provide a realistic assessment environment, the virtual classroom included a typical rectangular classroom with desks, blackboard, a virtual teacher, and in which participants should perform various attentional and inhibition tasks based on the traditional Continuous Performance Task. The results of these studies showed, on one hand, positive usability data (Rizzo et al, 2000), and, on the other, good convergent and construct validity between the performance on the virtual classroom and the traditional tests (Diaz-Orueta et al, 2012;Iriarte et al, 2016;Nolin et al, 2016), as well as, sensibility and specificity to discriminate between children with and without ADHD (Pollak et al, 2009). The most of the VR studies presented in literature are in their first stage, including small groups of participants in which the main aim is to assess the feasibility of using new technologies for the assessment.…”

Section: Atsna: Virtual Reality and Augmented Realitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Novel supports to the assessment of cognitive functions through the combined use of technologies and subjective and objective measurements

Giglioli¹,

Margherita²

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Cognitive functions include all the processes through which an individual perceives, records, maintains, recovers, manipulates, uses and expresses information that are involved in any everyday activity. The traditional cognitive functioning assessment belongs to the applied neuropsychological science that focuses on the evaluation of the specific cognitive components through the recollection of observable behaviors during specific activities. The main standardized tools can be divided in three main groups: short scales of cognitive tracking testsquestionnaires, general neuropsychological batteries, and specific tests. These tools are well-validated and riable but, in the last decade, several research have shown that some patients can perform these neuropsychological tests well, even when they have significant difficulties in adapting their behaviors to daily life activities. This could depend on the fact that neuropsychological tests are too abstract, decontextualized and do not reflect daily life activities. According to this, more recently, a new approach has substantially increased, potentially providing a higher ecological validity in functional cognitive abilities assessment than standardized approach: the use of advanced technological systems for neuropsychological assessment (ATSNA). ATSNA refer to a set of devices and software applications such as computerized tests, fun and interactive fantasy serious games (SG), and/or simulated virtual (VR) and/or augmented (AR) reality systems that go beyond traditional assessment tests and that supply the possibility to deliver controlled and dynamic stimuli, in ecologically valid, and secure environments. Technologically, ATSNA can be rendered through a non-immersive (2D) screen in which interaction is possible thanks to a keyboard or a mouse or through more immersive head mounted display systems (3D) in which the human eye-gaze and (virtual) hands allow subjects to interact with the synthetic elements. Hence, by developing an ATSNA system that allows subject to become protagonist in an ATS environment, cognitive functions can be assessed as if he/she was evaluated in a real-simulated environment. In fact, although to date several 2D and 3D Contents

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AULA—Advanced Virtual Reality Tool for the Assessment of Attention

Cited by 94 publications

References 25 publications

AULA virtual reality test as an attention measure: Convergent validity with Conners’ Continuous Performance Test

AULA virtual reality test as an attention measure: Convergent validity with Conners’ Continuous Performance Test

Design process and preliminary psychometric study of a video game to detect cognitive impairment in senior adults

Novel supports to the assessment of cognitive functions through the combined use of technologies and subjective and objective measurements

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