The Oxford Digital Multiple Errands Test (OxMET): Validation of a Simplified Computer Tablet Based Multiple Errands Test

Abstract

Impairments in executive functioning are common following Acquired Brain Injury, though there are few screening tools which present a time efficient and ecologically valid approach to assessing the consequences of executive impairments. We present the Oxford Digital Multiple Errands Test (OxMET), a novel and simplified computer-tablet version of a Multiple Errands Test.We recruited 124 neurologically healthy controls and 105 stroke survivors to complete the OxMET task. Normative data and internal consistency were established from the healthy control data. Convergent and divergent validation was assessed in a mixed subset of 158 participants who completed the OxMET and OCS-Plus. Test-retest reliability was examined across a mixed subset of 39 participants. Finally, we investigated the known-group discriminability of the OxMET.The OxMET demonstrated very high internal consistency, and stable group level test-retest performance as well as good convergent and divergent validity. The OxMET demonstrated high sensitivity and good specificity in overall differentiation of stroke survivors from controls. The Oxford Digital Multiple Errands Test is a brief, easy to administer tool, designed to quickly screen for potential consequences of executive impairments in a virtual environment shopping task on a computer tablet. Initial normative data and validation within a chronic stroke cohort is presented.

Assessing goal-directed behavior in virtual reality with the neuropsychological task EPELI: children prefer head-mounted display but flat screen provides a viable performance measure for remote testing

“…Later, several desktop FSD variations that have the benefit of greater experimental control but could be less ecologically relevant as being less presentative and more removed from the everyday environments, have been developed (e.g., Rand et al, 2009;Jovanoski et al, 2012;Raspelli et al, 2012;Cipresso et al, 2014). Recently, Webb et al (2021) created a simplified tablet version, OxMET, to be used as a brief screening tool. Even though this tablet version differs more from the original real-world MET than the desktop versions (e.g., it does not include any walking in a threedimensional environment, but the participant navigates by touching pictures of shops in a cartoon shopping street), it has strong potential for its intended use, that is, as a screening tool for the executive problems that this kind of naturalistic paradigm aims to capture.…”

“…Some have used FSDs (e.g., Rand et al, 2009;Jovanoski et al, 2012;Raspelli et al, 2012;Cipresso et al, 2014;Ruse et al, 2014) while others have employed HMDs (e.g., Barnett et al, 2021;Chicchi Giglioli et al, 2021;Ouellet et al, 2018;Parsons & Barnett, 2017;Porffy et al, 2022; see also the reviews by Neguţ et al, 2016;Parsons, 2015;and Pieri et al, 2023). Regarding the Multiple Errands Test that was at first devised to be performed in reallife environments (Shallice & Burgess, 1991; see also Rotenberg et al, 2020), there are several desktop FSD versions have been implemented (Rand et al, 2009;Jovanoski et al, 2012;Raspelli et al, 2012;Cipresso et al, 2014), as well as a simplified tablet version to serve as a brief screening tool (Webb et al, 2021). These studies have not included any direct comparison between FSDs and HMDs, although the tasks included could be implemented with small adjustments in both.…”