virtual-reality-tools-for-assessing-unilateral-spatial-neglect-novel

Virtual Reality Tools for Assessing Unilateral Spatial Neglect: A Novel Opportunity for Data Collection

Unilateral spatial neglect (USN) is a syndrome characterized by inattention to or inaction in one side of space and affects between 23-46% of acute stroke ...

Drexel University

Pure alexia is an acquired neuropsychological disorder that follows damage to the occipito-temporal lobe. This brain damage results in a severe reading impairment in which previously literate individuals are no longer able to efficiently read words, but are still able to perform other language tasks. The present study sought to identify factors of words that make it more difficult for pure alexic individuals to read, such as letter confusability and word length. Eye-tracking methodology was paired with a naming task to examine whether word length or letter confusability is a better predictor of processing difficulty. It was found that word length was a significant predictor of reading time, while summed letter confusability was not significant. This study contradicts some previous research and shows that when an orthogonal set of stimuli is used, letter confusability is not a significant factor driving this reading impairment in all individuals with pure alexia.

Untangling letter confusability and word length effects in pure alexia.

Driving ability can be compromised in individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS); however, the progressive nature of multiple sclerosis makes it difficult for clinicians to assess when performance on functional tasks, such as driving, has started to decline. The aim of the study was to evaluate the relationship between two measures of multiple sclerosis severity, the Expanded Disability Status Scale and the Multiple Sclerosis Functional Composite, and minor driving errors in a virtual reality driving simulator.

Article	Year
Untangling letter confusability and word length effects in pure alexia. Cognitive neuropsychology\| PubMed ID: 26745321	2015
The Relationship Between Multiple Sclerosis Symptom Severity Measures and Performance on Driving Variability Metrics in a Virtual Reality Simulator. American journal of physical medicine & rehabilitation\| PubMed ID: 31764226	2020

Ann-Marie Raphail

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