Are visual cues helpful for virtual spatial navigation and spatial memory in patients with mild cognitive impairment or Alzheimer’s disease?

doi:10.1037/neu0000435

Authors

Cogné, Mélanie; Auriacombe, Sophie; Vasa, Louise; Tison, François; Klinger, Evelyne; Sauzéon, Hélène; Joseph, Pierre-Alain; N'Kaoua, Bernard + 3

Contributors

Handicap et système nerveux :Action, communication, interaction: rétablisseme...; UFR Sciences médicales 3 Bordeaux -Université de Bordeaux Ségalen Bordeaux 2; Bordeaux population health (BPH); Université de Bordeaux (UB)-Institut de Santé Publique, d'Épidémiologie et de Développement (ISPED)-Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM); Service de Médecine Physique et Réadaptation; CHU Bordeaux; Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives Bordeaux (IMN); Université de Bordeaux (UB)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS); Laboratoire Angevin de Mécanique, Procédés et InnovAtion (LAMPA); Arts et Métiers Sciences et Technologies; HESAM Université - Communauté d'universités et d'établissements Hautes écoles Sorbonne Arts et métiers université (HESAM)-HESAM Université - Communauté d'universités et d'établissements Hautes écoles Sorbonne Arts et métiers université (HESAM); Programming Language Technology For Communication Services (Phoenix); Laboratoire Bordelais de Recherche en Informatique (LaBRI); Université de Bordeaux (UB)-École Nationale Supérieure d'Électronique, Informatique et Radiocommunications de Bordeaux (ENSEIRB)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université de Bordeaux (UB)-École Nationale Supérieure d'Électronique, Informatique et Radiocommunications de Bordeaux (ENSEIRB)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Inria Bordeaux - Sud-Ouest; Institut National de Recherche en Informatique et en Automatique (Inria)-Institut National de Recherche en Informatique et en Automatique (Inria)-Handicap et système nerveux :Action, communication, interaction: rétablissement de la fonction et de la participation Bordeaux (EA4136); UFR Sciences médicales 3 Bordeaux -Université de Bordeaux Ségalen Bordeaux 2 -UFR Sciences médicales 3 Bordeaux -Université de Bordeaux Ségalen Bordeaux 2 + 15

Publisher

HAL CCSD; American Psychological Association

Abstract

International audience ; Objective: To evaluate whether visual cues are helpful for virtual spatial navigation and memory in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Method: 20 patients with AD, 18 patients with MCI and 20 age-matched healthy controls (HC) were included. Participants had to actively reproduce a path that included 5 intersections with one landmark at each intersection that they had seen previously during a learning phase. Three cueing conditions for navigation were offered: salient landmarks, directional arrows and a map. A path without additional visual stimuli served as control condition. Navigation time and number of trajectory mistakes were recorded. Results: With the presence of directional arrows, no significant difference was found between groups concerning the number of trajectory mistakes and navigation time. The number of trajectory mistakes did not differ significantly between patients with AD and patients with MCI on the path with arrows, the path with salient landmarks and the path with a map. There were significant correlations between the number of trajectory mistakes under the arrow condition and executive tests, and between the number of trajectory mistakes under the salient landmark condition and memory tests. Conclusion: Visual cueing such as directional arrows and salient landmarks appears helpful for spatial navigation and memory tasks in patients with AD and patients with MCI. This study opens new research avenues for neuro-rehabilitation, such as the use of augmented reality in real-life settings to support the navigational capabilities of patients with MCI and patients with AD.