VStore: Feasibility and Acceptability of a Novel Virtual Reality Functional Cognition Task

Virtual reality (VR) is becoming an increasingly popular tool in neuroscience and mental health research. In recent years, efforts have been made to virtualise neuropsychological testing with the intent to increase the ecological validity of cognitive assessments. However, there are some gaps in the literature. Feasibility and acceptability data are often not reported or available, and most studies have a small sample size. In this study, we describe the development and establish the feasibility and acceptability of administering a novel functional cognition VR shopping task, VStore, in three separate samples. Two studies included healthy volunteers from across the age spectrum and one study included patients with psychosis, with the total sample size of 210. Main VStore outcomes were: 1) verbal recall of 12 grocery items, 2) time to collect items, 3) time to select items on a self-checkout machine, 4) time to make the payment, 5) time to order hot drink, and 6) total time. Feasibility and acceptability were assessed by the completion rate across the three studies. VR induced adverse effects were tested for pre- and post-VStore administration to establish tolerability. Finally, as an exploratory objective, VStore’s ability to differentiate between age groups, and patients and gender and age matched healthy controls was probed to provide a preliminary indication of its potential utilities. The overall completion rate across the studies was exceptionally high (99.95%), and VStore did not induce any adverse effects. Additionally, there was a clear difference in VStore performance between patients and controls and younger and older age groups, suggesting that the VR assessment may have some clinical utility. These findings demonstrate that VStore is a promising neuropsychological tool that is well-tolerated and feasible to administer to both healthy and clinical populations. We discuss the implications for future research involving neuropsychological testing based on our experience and the contemporary literature.