Validation of a Sorting Task Implemented in the Virtual Multitasking Task-2 and Effect of Aging

摘要

Normal aging is characterized by cognitive, functional, and neu-roanatomic changes. Executive functions (EF), linked to the autonomy in the realization of instrumental Activity of Daily Living (iADL) are particularly sensitive to the effect of aging. To date, the best way to describe the cognitive profile of an individual is using traditional neuropsychological assessment. However, these tasks showed a week ecological validity that compromise the prediction of iADL functioning. Fortunately, virtual reality (VR) seems to be an interesting alternative to assess the functional capacities by reproducing everyday life situations accurately. Nevertheless, we know that the elderly could have some difficulty when interacting with technology (Banville et al. 2017). The aims of this study were (1) to differentiate performance of older adult compared to young people in a sorting task implemented in a virtual environment (VE) and (2) to analyze psychometric properties of that novel task. To do this, 30 participants were recruited in the general population and were divided in 2 groups based on their age. The results indicated that older subjects take more time than younger to compete the sorting task. Then, the scores obtained correlated significantly with some neuropsychological tasks, particularly with those assessing EF. To conclude, the VMT-2 could offer the opportunity to make a valid assessment of functional capacities during aging. Further work could validate the relevance to use it when the individual facing with mild cognitive impairment or dementia.