Predicting real-world navigation performance from a virtual navigation task in older adults.

ABSTRACT: Virtual reality environments presented on tablets and smartphones offer a novel way of measuring navigation skill and predicting real-world navigation problems. The extent to which such virtual tests are effective at predicting navigation in older populations remains unclear. We compared the performance of 20 older participants (54-74 years old) in wayfinding tasks in a real-world environment in London, UK, and in similar tasks designed in a mobile app-based test of navigation (Sea Hero Quest). In a previous study with young participants (18-35 years old), we were able to predict navigation performance in real-world tasks in London and Paris using this mobile app. We find that for the older cohort, virtual navigation performance predicts real-world performance for medium difficulty, but no

SUBMITTER: Goodroe S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11771902 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature