The Body Position Spatial Task, a Test of Whole-Body Spatial Cognition: Comparison Between Adults With and Without Parkinson Disease

Background. The Body Position Spatial Task (BPST) is a novel measure of whole-body spatial cognition involving multidirectional steps and turns. Individuals with Parkinson disease (PD) are affected by motor and cognitive impairments, particularly in spatial function, which is important for mental imagery and navigation. Performance on the BPST may inform understanding of motor-cognitive and spatial cognitive function of individuals with PD. Objectives. We conducted this study to determine feasibility and validity of the BPST with standard, validated, and reliable measures of spatial cognition and motor-cognitive integration and to compare BPST performance in adults with and without PD. Methods. A total of 91 individuals with mild-moderate PD and 112 neurotypical (NT) adults of similar age were recruited for the study to complete the BPST and other measures of mobility and cognition. Correlations were used to determine construct and concurrent validity of BPST with valid measures of spatial cognition and m...