An immersive virtual reality-based object-location memory task reveals spatial long-term memory alterations in Long-COVID

Llana, Tania ; Garcés-Arilla, Sara (Universidad de Zaragoza) ; Juan, M. Carmen ; Méndez-López, Magdalena (Universidad de Zaragoza) ; Méndez, Marta

Resumen: Object-location memory (OLM) is a type of declarative memory for spatial information and consists of the individual's ability to establish accurate associations between objects and their spatial locations. Long-COVID describes the long-term effects of the COVID-19 disease. Long-COVID patients show medial temporal lobe dysfunction and neuropsychological alterations affecting memory. This study aimed to assess OLM in a group of Long-COVID patients, n=66, and a Control group of healthy individuals with similar age and sex composition, n=21, using an immersive virtual reality (iVR)-based OLM task. We also explored associations between the performance in the iVR-based OLM task and general cognitive function (MoCA), and both verbal (VSTM) and visuospatial (SSTM) span. The Long-COVID group showed fewer correct responses, made more task attempts, and invested more time in the iVR-based OLM task than the Control group. Delayed memory was more severely altered than immediate memory in Long-COVID participants. Better MoCA scores of the Long-COVID group were strongly associated with shorter times to complete the immediate recall of the iVR-based OLM task. Besides, the months elapsed since the COVID-19 infection were slightly associated with fewer correct responses in the immediate and 24-hour recalls. These results corroborate previous findings of memory alterations in the Long-COVID syndrome using an iVR-based OLM task, adding new evidence on spatial memory and long-term memory in this population. Implementing spatial iVR tasks to clinical research may improve our understanding of neuropsychological disorders.

Idioma: Inglés

DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2024.115127

Año: 2024

Publicado en: Behavioural brain research 471 (2024), 115127 [12 pp.]
ISSN: 0166-4328

Financiación: info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/DGA/S31-23R
Financiación: info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/NextGenerationEU/INVESTIGO-067-38

Tipo y forma: Article (Published version)

Área (Departamento): Área Psicobiología (Dpto. Psicología y Sociología)