Comparison of Time Taken to Assess Cognitive Function Using a Fully Immersive and Automated Virtual Reality System vs. the Montreal Cognitive Assessment.

Wei Teen Wong,Muthulakshmi Paulpandi,Rahul Malhotra,Soon Huat Lim,John Carson Allen,Joanne Hui Min Quah,Wan Sian Lee,Ngiap Chuan Tan,Tuan Ann Teh,Jie En Lim

doi:10.3389/fnagi.2021.756891

Abstract

Introduction: Dementia is increasingly prevalent globally. Existing questionnaire-based cognitive assessment tools may not comprehensively assess cognitive function and real-time task-performance across all cognitive domains. CAVIRE (Cognitive Assessment by VIrtual REality), a fully immersive virtual reality system incorporating automated audio-visual instructions and a scoring matrix was developed to assess the six cognitive domains, with potential to maintain consistency in execution of the testing environment and possibly time-saving in busy primary care practice.Aims: This is a feasibility study to compare the completion times of the questionnaire-based Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and the CAVIRE in cognitively-healthy Asian adults aged between 35 and 74 years, overall, and in and across each 10-year age group (35–44; 45–54; 55–64; 65–74).Methods: A total of 100 participants with a MoCA score of 26 or more were recruited equally into the four 10-year age groups at a primary care clinic in Singapore. Completion time for the MoCA assessment for each participant was recorded. They were assessed using the CAVIRE, comprising 13 segments featuring common everyday activities assessing all six cognitive domains, and the completion time was also recorded through the embedded automated scoring and timing framework.Results: Completion time for CAVIRE as compared to MoCA was significantly (p < 0.01) shorter, overall (mean difference: 74.9 (SD) seconds) and in each age group. Younger, vs. older, participants completed both the MoCA and CAVIRE tasks in a shorter time. There was a greater variability in the completion time for the MoCA, most markedly in the oldest group, whereas completion time was less variable for the CAVIRE tasks in all age groups, with most consistency in the 45–54 year-age group.Conclusion: We demonstrate almost equivalent completion times for a VR and a questionnaire-based cognition assessment, with inter-age group variation in VR completion time synonymous to that in conventional screening methods. The CAVIRE has the potential to be an alternative screening modality for cognition in the primary care setting.

Highlights

IntroductionDementia is a syndrome of one’s cognitive function deterioration, leading to increasing difficulties in coping with everyday activities
It was not related to the Virtual reality (VR) performance
Demographic characteristics of the remaining 99 participants are presented in Table 1, and did not differ significantly across the four age groups, labeled as Group (1) for 35–44 years; Group (2) for 45–54 years; Group (3) for 55–64 years and Group (4) for 65–74 years

Summary

Introduction

Dementia is a syndrome of one’s cognitive function deterioration, leading to increasing difficulties in coping with everyday activities. Singapore faces increasing prevalence of dementia in an aging population. According to the Well-being of the Singapore Elderly (WiSE) study (Subramaniam et al, 2015), one in ten people aged 60 years and above may have dementia. This translates to almost 82,000 people in 2018 and is expected to exceed 187,000 by 2050 (Alzheimer’s Disease Association Singapore, 2020). Detection of cognitive impairment becomes imperative to initiate management, and to prepare caregivers in handling the syndrome

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