Assessment of Attentional Processes in Patients with Anxiety-Depressive Disorders Using Virtual Reality

To characterize the attention deficits in one-hundred-fifteen participants, comprising two types of clinical profiles (affective and anxiety disorder), through a test of continuous VR execution. Method: Three tests (i.e., Nesplora Aquarium, BDI, and STAI) were used to obtain a standardized measure o...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: José A. Camacho-Conde, Leire Legarra, Vanesa M. Bolinches, Patricia Cano, Mónica Guasch, María Llanos-Torres, Vanessa Serret, Miguel Mejías, Gema Climent
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2021-12-01
Series:Journal of Personalized Medicine
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4426/11/12/1341
Description
Summary:To characterize the attention deficits in one-hundred-fifteen participants, comprising two types of clinical profiles (affective and anxiety disorder), through a test of continuous VR execution. Method: Three tests (i.e., Nesplora Aquarium, BDI, and STAI) were used to obtain a standardized measure of attention, as well as the existence and severity of depression and anxiety, respectively. Results: Significant differences (CI = 95%) were found between the control group and the group with depression, in variables related to the speed of visual processing (<i>p</i> = 0.008) in the absence of distractors (<i>p</i> = 0.041) and during the first dual execution task (<i>p</i> = 0.011). For scores related to sustained attention, patients with depression and those with anxiety did not differ from controls. Our results suggest attentional deficits in both clinical populations when performing a continuous performance test that involved the participation of the central executive system of working memory.
ISSN:2075-4426