Performance on the ToM tasks (scores as correct responses).

<p>N-SC Non-social context; RME Reading the Mind in the Eyes; SC Social Context.</p><p>*p<0.001.</p>¶<p>Bulbar and non-bulbar patients significantly different from healthy controls.</p

RME experimental test: Individual patients' scores.

<p>RME Reading the Mind in the Eyes.</p

User perspective and higher cognitive task-loads influence movement and performance in immersive training environments

Background: In virtual reality (VR) applications such as games, virtual training, and interactive neurorehabilitation, one can employ either the first-person user perspective or the third-person perspective to perceive the virtual environment; however, applications rarely offer both perspectives for the same task. We used a targeted-reaching task in a large-scale virtual reality environment (N=30 healthy volunteers) to evaluate the effects of user perspective on the head and upper extremity movements, and on user performance. We further evaluated how different cognitive challenges would modulate these effects. Finally, we obtained the user-reported engagement level under the different perspectives. Results: We found that first-person perspective resulted in larger head movements (3.52±1.3m) than the third-person perspective (2.41±0.7m). First-person perspective also resulted in more upper-extremity movement (30.08±7.28m compared to 26.66±4.86m) and longer completion times (61.3±16.4s compared to 53±10.4s) for more challenging tasks such as the "flipped mode", in which moving one arm causes the opposite virtual arm to move. We observed no significant effect of user perspective alone on the success rate. Subjects reported experiencing roughly the same level of engagement in both first-person and third-person perspectives (F(1.58)=0.9,P=.445). Conclusion: User perspective and its interaction with higher-cognitive load tasks influences the extent of movement and user performance in a virtual theater environment, and may influence the choice of the interface type (first or third person) in immersive training depending on the user conditions and exercise requirements

Performance of ALS patients and healthy controls on the background neuropsychological tests.

<p>GNT = Graded Naming Test; NS = not significant; SD = standard deviation; VOSP = Visual Object and Space Perception battery.</p><p>*p<0.01.</p

RME task versions used to test emotion representation in PD.

<p>HC = Healthy Controls; PD = Parkinson’s Disease; RME = Reading the Mind in the Eyes;</p><p>* Data of preoperative patients</p><p>** Data of medicated patients</p><p>RME task versions used to test emotion representation in PD.</p

Demographic, neuropsychological and clinical measures.

<p>BDI = Beck Depression Inventory; FAB = Frontal Assessment Battery; H&Y = Hoehn and Yahr; HC = Healthy Controls; Ledd = Levodopa equivalent daily dose; MMSE = Mini Mental State Examination; PD = Parkinson’s Disease; STAI = State Trait Anxiety Inventory; UPDRS = Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale.</p><p>Demographic, neuropsychological and clinical measures.</p

Emotion processing measures.

<p>HC = Healthy Controls; PD = Parkinson’s Disease; RME = Reading the Mind in the Eyes; TAS-20 = Twenty-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale.</p><p>Emotion processing measures.</p

Logistic Regression (cognitive deficits YES/NO in prog–MS patients).

<p>EDSS = Expanded Disability Status Scale; FSS = Fatigue Severity Scale; HADS = Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale; NS = Not Significant; TIB–errors = Brief Intelligence Test–Errors; TIB–IQ = Brief Intelligence Test–Intelligence Quotient; WAIS–Voc = WAIS Vocabulary.</p

Logistic Regression (cognitive deficits YES/NO in RR–MS patients).

*<p><i>p</i><0.05;</p>**<p><i>p</i><0.001;</p><p>EDSS = Expanded Disability Status Scale; FSS = Fatigue Severity Scale; HADS = Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale; TIB–errors = Brief Intelligence Test–Errors; TIB–IQ = Brief Intelligence Test–Intelligence Quotient; WAIS–Voc = WAIS Vocabulary.</p

Demographic and clinical variables of patients with RR–MS, progressive MS, and healthy controls.

*<p>p<0.05;</p>**<p>p<0.01;</p><p>EDSS = Expanded Disability Status Scale; FSS = Fatigue Severity Scale; HADS = Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale; NS = Not Significant; RR–MS = Relapsing-remitting Multiple Sclerosis; prog–MS = Progressive Multiple Sclerosis;</p>¶<p>prog–MS significantly different from RR–MS;</p>§<p>prog–MS significantly different from healthy controls;</p><p>RR–MS significantly different from healthy controls.</p