title: Using the virtual reality device Oculus Rift for neuropsychological assessment of visual processing capabilities.
abstract: Neuropsychological assessment of human visual processing capabilities strongly depends on visual testing conditions including room lighting, stimuli, and viewing-distance. This limits standardization, threatens reliability, and prevents the assessment of core visual functions such as visual processing speed. Increasingly available virtual reality devices allow to address these problems. One such device is the portable, light-weight, and easy-to-use Oculus Rift. It is head-mounted and covers the entire visual field, thereby shielding and standardizing the visual stimulation. A fundamental prerequisite to use Oculus Rift for neuropsychological assessment is sufficient test-retest reliability. Here, we compare the test-retest reliabilities of Bundesen's visual processing components (visual processing speed, threshold of conscious perception, capacity of visual working memory) as measured with Oculus Rift and a standard CRT computer screen. Our results show that Oculus Rift allows to measure the processing components as reliably as the standard CRT. This means that Oculus Rift is applicable for standardized and reliable assessment and diagnosis of elementary cognitive functions in laboratory and clinical settings. Oculus Rift thus provides the opportunity to compare visual processing components between individuals and institutions and to establish statistical norm distributions.
authors.affiliation: Neuro-cognitive Psychology, Bielefeld University, P. O. Box 100131, D-33501 Bielefeld, Germany.|Cluster of Excellence Cognitive Interaction Technology, Bielefeld University, P. O. Box 100131, D-33501 Bielefeld, Germany.
authors.forename: Rebecca M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Foerster
authors.affiliation: Neuro-cognitive Psychology, Bielefeld University, P. O. Box 100131, D-33501 Bielefeld, Germany.|Cluster of Excellence Cognitive Interaction Technology, Bielefeld University, P. O. Box 100131, D-33501 Bielefeld, Germany.
authors.forename: Christian H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Poth
authors.affiliation: Cluster of Excellence Cognitive Interaction Technology, Bielefeld University, P. O. Box 100131, D-33501 Bielefeld, Germany.|Computer Graphics and Geometry Processing, Bielefeld University,P. O. Box 100131, D-33501 Bielefeld, Germany.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Behler
authors.affiliation: Cluster of Excellence Cognitive Interaction Technology, Bielefeld University, P. O. Box 100131, D-33501 Bielefeld, Germany.|Computer Graphics and Geometry Processing, Bielefeld University,P. O. Box 100131, D-33501 Bielefeld, Germany.
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Botsch
authors.affiliation: Neuro-cognitive Psychology, Bielefeld University, P. O. Box 100131, D-33501 Bielefeld, Germany.|Cluster of Excellence Cognitive Interaction Technology, Bielefeld University, P. O. Box 100131, D-33501 Bielefeld, Germany.
authors.forename: Werner X
authors.initials: WX
authors.lastname: Schneider
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology; D003243:Consciousness; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008328:Man-Machine Systems; D008570:Memory, Short-Term / Q000502:physiology; D008959:Models, Neurological; D008960:Models, Psychological; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010364:Pattern Recognition, Visual / Q000502:physiology*; D010775:Photic Stimulation / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012107:Research Design / Q000592:standards; D014584:User-Computer Interface; D000076142:Virtual Reality; D055815:Young Adult