A virtual-based task to assess place avoidance in humans

Spatial memory can be assessed by virtual reality-based tasks, some of them similar to those previously used in rodents. In this study a virtual place avoidance task was developed based on a rodent labyrinth to evaluate human spatial memory. The task required subjects to avoid in a virtual room a prohibited zone defined solely by distal cues, while they collected rewards. The size of the to-be-avoided area was used as an independent variable as well as the gender of the participants. Subjects displayed an adequate performance after a single 5-min trial, entering the prohibited area on very few occasions. Our results showed that the size of the prohibited zone can be used to adapt task difficulty to different populations. Moreover, males were faster than females. They collected more rewards and spent less time in the prohibited area. Data collected supports the spatial component of the task and the validity of this procedure for spatial memory assessment in human beings.