title: Simulating real world functioning in schizophrenia using a naturalistic city environment and single-trial, goal-directed navigation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To develop a virtual reality platform that would serve as a functionally meaningful measure of cognition in schizophrenia and that would also complement standard batteries of cognitive tests during clinical trials for cognitive treatments in schizophrenia, be amenable to human neuroimaging research, yet lend itself to neurobiological comparison with rodent analogs.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-three patients with schizophrenia and 33 healthy controls matched for age, sex, video gaming experience, and education completed eight rapid, single-trial virtual navigation tasks within a naturalistic virtual city. Four trials tested their ability to find different targets seen during the passive viewing of a closed path that led them around different city blocks. Four subsequent trials tested their ability to return to four different starting points after viewing a path that took them several blocks away from the starting position.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Individuals with schizophrenia had difficulties in way-finding, measured as distance travelled to find targets previously encountered within the virtual city. They were also more likely not to notice the target during passive viewing, less likely to find novel shortcuts to targets, and more likely to become lost and fail completely in finding the target. Total travel distances across all eight trials strongly correlated (negatively) with neurocognitive measures and, for 49 participants who completed the Quality of Life Scale, psychosocial functioning.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Single-trial, goal-directed navigation in a naturalistic virtual environment is a functionally meaningful measure of cognitive functioning in schizophrenia.
authors: Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto ON, Canada ; Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute Toronto, ON, Canada.
authors: John A
authors: JA
authors: Zawadzki
authors: Todd A
authors: TA
authors: Girard
authors: George
authors: G
authors: Foussias
authors: Alicia
authors: A
authors: Rodrigues
authors: Ishraq
authors: I
authors: Siddiqui
authors: Jason P
authors: JP
authors: Lerch
authors: Cheryl
authors: C
authors: Grady
authors: Gary
authors: G
authors: Remington
authors: Albert H C
authors: AH
authors: Wong
keywords: cognition; navigation; psychosocial functioning; schizophrenia; virtual reality