An Initial Assessment of the Correlation Between Virtual Reality and Paper and Pencil Line Bisection Test Results

Abstract

Objective: To make an initial assessment of the correlation between immersive virtual reality–based (ILBT) line bisection testing and paper-and-pencil–based line bisection (PLBT) testing in healthy subjects. Design: Diagnostic study. Setting: Research laboratory. Participants: Twenty healthy adults (51.5 [11.0] years old, 55% women; N=20). Interventions: Participants underwent an ILBT and a conventional PLBT in near space (NS) and more distant space (MDS). Correlations between the ILBT and PLBT, deviation rates in the NS and MDS, horizontal gaze distribution, and presence of virtual reality sickness (VRS) were evaluated. Main Outcome Measures: Correlation between the deviation rates of the PLBT and ILBT. Results: There was no significant correlation between the ILBT and PLBT for evaluating the deviation rate of the line bisection test (LBT). There was no significant difference in the deviation rate of the LBTs between the NS and MDS, but there was a significant difference in the horizontal line-of-sight distribution. VRS was not observed as an adverse event. Conclusions: In healthy adult subjects, our results suggested that there was no significant correlation between the deviation rates of the ILBT and PLBT. We also found that the ILBT is a useful and safe method for evaluating the horizontal line-of-sight distribution and percentage deviation of line segments from the center in the NS and MDS without inducing VRS.

Keywords

• Assessment
• Eye-tracking technology
• Hemispatial neglect
• Rehabilitation
• Virtual reality