Just like a time machine, episodic memory enables us to travel to the past in our minds and relive personal experiences with full clarity, as if we were going through them all over again.
Universitat Oberta de CatalunyaOct 15 2024 These can range from remembering where we left the car keys last night to the last time we saw a relative that we haven't seen in years. This ability to record daily experiences starts to deteriorate early in people with neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease.
The study, which has been published in open access in the Scientific Reports journal , seeks to establish whether active navigation has a bearing on how episodic memory works and to study how the physical characteristics of their spatial environment can modulate the way episodic memory is organized.
Creation of a cognitive map During the study, the 28 participants moved around the museum's two floors, which were connected by a set of stairs, either passively using virtual reality or actively using augmented reality. During their tour, they were shown a number of images in specific locations on each floor.
After analysing the data and the subjects' responses, the authors noted that active learning experiences may lead to better episodic memory performance than passive encoding. Related StoriesFurthermore, the physical elements involved in active navigation, whether they help or hinder it, appear to be more strongly integrated in our memory of the experience. In fact, the data show that information and experiences acquired in physical parts of the museum, such as the stairs, are remembered better than stimuli from other places.
Memory enhancement applications As for the practical applications of the study, the research has led to the development of a novel and sound method involving the use of immersive technologies to better assess episodic memory under natural conditions akin to real-world conditions. This means that scientifically proven information is available to help design therapies involving active exploration through enriched spatial environments.
Alzheimer's Disease CLARITY Research Technology Virtual Reality Walking
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