Extending Assessments of Cognitive Decline into Virtual Reality

Early detection of dementia among seniors has been an ongoing struggle, leading to underdiagnosis, late diagnosis, and delayed intervention. Using virtual reality powered hardware and proprietary motion tracking software provided by Innerva Virtual Inc., this project intends to create a dual-task assessment to measure mild cognitive impairment (MCI) among older adults, a leading symptom of dementia. We will measure the effectiveness of using standardized virtual environments to facilitate gait assessments and measure MCI. Virtual distractors created within the assessment can provide advanced data to the field of gait analysis and unlock new methods for the detection of MCI without adding physical risk to the participant or environment.

Faculty Supervisor:

Chris McGibbon

Student:

Partner:

Innerva Virtual Inc.

Discipline:

Computer science

Sector:

Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

University of New Brunswick

Program: