Visually navigating a virtual world with real-world impairments: a study of visually and spatially guided performance in individuals with mild cognitive impairments.

In recent years, computer technology has evolved such that highly realistic virtual environments (VEs) can be used within a lab setting. Such VEs provide controlled ability to examine behavioral performance across different populations. The primary goal of this investigation was to examine the ability of mild cognitive impaired (MCI) participants to navigate effectively through a realistic, fictional virtual city. A total of 26 healthy control participants (age: 69 +/- 7.7 years; Mini-Mental State Examination, MMSE >or= 29) and 8 MCI patients (age: 72 +/- 7 years, MMSE >or= 26) were recruited. Both groups exhibited similar spatial-navigation ability. However, the MCI groups' ability to use effective visually guided navigation to traverse the VE was significantly compromised compared to healthy controls; a similar performance reduction was also observed when selecting appropriate paths. Though initially groups appear practically indistinguishable in regard to spatially navigating their way through the VE, these data indicate that careful evaluations of behavior in VEs may provide novel ways to differentiate between populations that have historically displayed relatively subtle differences.