Tuena Cosimo, Serino Silvia, Dutriaux Léo, Riva Giuseppe, Piolino Pascale
Applied Technology for Neuro-Psychology Lab, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, 20149 Milan, Italy.
MySpace Lab, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University Hospital Lausanne (CHUV), CH-1011 Lausanne, Switzerland.
J Clin Med. 2019 May 7;8(5):620. doi: 10.3390/jcm8050620.
Spatial cognition is a critical aspect of episodic memory, as it provides the scaffold for events and enables successful retrieval. Virtual enactment (sensorimotor and cognitive interaction) by means of input devices within virtual environments provides an excellent opportunity to enhance encoding and to support memory retrieval with useful traces in the brain compared to passive observation.
We conducted a systematic review with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines concerning the virtual enactment effect on spatial and episodic memory in young and aged populations. We aim at giving guidelines for virtual enactment studies, especially in the context of aging, where spatial and episodic memory decline.
Our findings reveal a positive effect on spatial and episodic memory in the young population and promising outcomes in aging. Several cognitive factors (e.g., executive function, decision-making, and visual components) mediate memory performances. Findings should be taken into account for future interventions in aging.
The present review sheds light on the key role of the sensorimotor and cognitive systems for memory rehabilitation by means of a more ecological tool such as virtual reality and stresses the importance of the body for cognition, endorsing the view of an embodied mind.
空间认知是情景记忆的一个关键方面，因为它为事件提供了框架，并有助于成功检索。与被动观察相比，通过虚拟环境中的输入设备进行虚拟模拟（感觉运动和认知交互）为增强编码以及在大脑中留下有用痕迹以支持记忆检索提供了绝佳机会。
我们按照系统评价与Meta分析的首选报告项目（PRISMA）指南，对虚拟模拟对年轻人和老年人的空间记忆和情景记忆的影响进行了系统评价。我们旨在为虚拟模拟研究提供指导方针，特别是在衰老背景下，此时空间记忆和情景记忆会衰退。
我们的研究结果显示，虚拟模拟对年轻人的空间记忆和情景记忆有积极影响，对老年人也有可观的效果。几个认知因素（如执行功能、决策和视觉成分）介导记忆表现。这些研究结果应在未来针对衰老的干预措施中予以考虑。
本综述通过虚拟现实等更具生态性的工具，揭示了感觉运动和认知系统在记忆康复中的关键作用，并强调了身体对认知的重要性，支持具身认知的观点。
