Attentional Demand of a Virtual Reality-Based Reaching Task in Nondisabled Older Adults.

ABSTRACT: Attention during exercise is known to affect performance; however, the attentional demand inherent to virtual reality (VR)-based exercise is not well understood. We used a dual-task paradigm to compare the attentional demands of VR-based and non-VR-based (conventional, real-world) exercise: 22 non-disabled older adults performed a primary reaching task to virtual and real targets in a counterbalanced block order while verbally responding to an unanticipated auditory tone in one third of the trials. The attentional demand of the primary reaching task was inferred from the voice response time (VRT) to the auditory tone. Participants' engagement level and task experience were also obtained using questionnaires. The virtual target condition was more attention demanding (significantly longer VR

SUBMITTER: Chen YA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4798253 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature