An immersive virtual reality navigational tool for diagnosing and treating neurodegeneration

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dc.contributor.authorWhite, Paul
dc.contributor.examiningcommitteeHo, Carl (Electrical and Computer Engineering) McLeod, Bob (Electrical and Computer Engineering) Unger, Bertram (Mechanical Engineering)en_US
dc.contributor.supervisorMoussavi, Zahra (Biomedical Engineering)en_US
dc.date.accessioned2017-01-05T15:58:16Z
dc.date.available2017-01-05T15:58:16Z
dc.date.issued2016en_US
dc.degree.disciplineBiomedical Engineeringen_US
dc.degree.levelMaster of Science (M.Sc.)en_US
dc.description.abstractOne of the earliest symptoms of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is a loss of spatial navigation. In this work, we improved an existing screening test for AD that analyzed a patient’s spatial navigation ability. The existing screening test was made more immersive, and therefore more reliable, by integrating support for a leading-edge consumer-targeted Head-Mounted Display (HMD). This integration brought some technical and usability challenges, that were addressed. Furthermore, we investigated the rehabilitative potential of Virtual Reality Navigational (VRN) activities in two case studies: an Early Stage AD (ESA) participant and a Late Stage AD (LSA) participant. We found that the ESA participant was able to significantly improve his navigation skills, and we observed some qualitative improvements in memory and navigation in his personal life. The LSA participant did not improve noticeably at the VRN tasks, but his mood improved after participating in the treatment sessions. These case studies suggested that VRN treatment may be beneficial for people with AD, especially at the onset stage.en_US
dc.description.noteFebruary 2017en_US
dc.identifier.citationP. J. White and Z. Moussavi, “Neurocognitive Treatment for a Patient with Alzheimer’s Disease Using a Virtual Reality Navigational Environment,” J. Exp. Neurosci., vol. 10, p. 129, 2016.en_US
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/1993/31979
dc.language.isoengen_US
dc.publisherLibertasen_US
dc.rightsopen accessen_US
dc.subjectAlzheimer's Diseaseen_US
dc.subjectVirtual Realityen_US
dc.subjectSpatial Navigationen_US
dc.subjectHMDen_US
dc.subjectVRen_US
dc.subjectADen_US
dc.subjectOculus Riften_US
dc.subjectVRN Chairen_US
dc.subjectCognitive Treatmenten_US
dc.titleAn immersive virtual reality navigational tool for diagnosing and treating neurodegenerationen_US
dc.typemaster thesisen_US
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