title: Human spatial navigation deficits after traumatic brain injury shown in the arena maze, a virtual Morris water maze.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Survivors of traumatic brain injury (TBI) often have spatial navigation deficits. This study examined such deficits and conducted a detailed analysis of navigational behaviour in a virtual environment.
  
  
  METHODS
  TBI survivors were tested in a computer simulation of the Morris water maze task that required them to find and remember the location of an invisible platform that was always in the same location. A follow-up questionnaire assessed everyday spatial ability.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fourteen survivors of moderate-to-severe TBI were compared to 12 non-injured participants.
  
  
  RESULTS
  TBI survivors navigated to a visible platform but could not learn the location of the invisible platform. The difference between TBI survivors and uninjured participants was best indicated by two new dependent variables, path efficacy and spatial scores.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study confirms the capacity of virtual environments to reveal spatial navigation deficits after TBI and establishes the best way to identify such deficits.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada. skelton@uvic.ca
authors.forename: Ronald W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Skelton
authors.forename: Shelley P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Ross
authors.forename: Ludek
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Nerad
authors.forename: Sharon A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Livingstone
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000150:complications*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018782:Maze Learning; D008875:Middle Aged; D013028:Space Perception; D013037:Spatial Behavior