Spatial Memory Training Program: Using Virtual Reality as a tool to provide Spatial Memory Training.

摘要

The hippocampus is a structure critical to the formation of allocentric spatial representations of an environment. While its role in spatial memory has long been established, evidence points to further implications in various neurological and psychiatric conditions, most notably Alzheimer's Disease. Some symptoms typical of Alzheimer's Disease include loss of spatial orientation as well as difficulty forming temporal and spatial relationships. These symptoms affect the quality of life of those affected by the disease and those caring for them. Accompanying these symptoms is a marked decrease in hippocampal volume, which may explain the associated symptomatological specificity. Previous studies have provided evidence for the effectiveness of intervention and training programs aimed at improving cognitive and affective abilities. However, these programs were not specifically constructed to tap into hippocampal function. As such, a cognitive intervention program based on spatial memory, targeting specifically the hippocampus using virtual reality, was developed over the course of several years. In order to determine the effectiveness of this program, participants were administered a battery of neurological and behavioural tests before and after the training program, and their results were compared to a group of controls. We hypothesized that participants in the experimental group would show greater improvements than participants in the control groups, and that these improvements would be specific to tests that assess spatial memory and hippocampal function. Results, gathered from subjective reports as well as from the test battery, indicate an increase in spatial memory-specific abilities in those given the training program. Further, participants reported increased feelings of autonomy, self-confidence and attention to details, indications of increased quality of life.