Meir Plotnik
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View article: A Virtual Reality-Based Assessment Tool for Apathy
A Virtual Reality-Based Assessment Tool for Apathy Open
Importance Apathy is a common and disabling syndrome in aging and neurodegenerative disease. Existing assessment tools rely on subjective reporting, limiting their accuracy in cognitively impaired individuals or in individuals with otherwi…
View article: Validation of an Automated Scoring Algorithm That Assesses Eye Exploration in a 3-Dimensional Virtual Reality Environment Using Eye-Tracking Sensors
Validation of an Automated Scoring Algorithm That Assesses Eye Exploration in a 3-Dimensional Virtual Reality Environment Using Eye-Tracking Sensors Open
Eye-tracking studies in virtual reality (VR) deliver insights into behavioral function. The gold standard of evaluating gaze behavior is based on manual scoring, which is labor-intensive. Previously proposed automated eye-tracking algorith…
View article: Reactivity of the Autonomic Nervous System During Visual‐Physical Incongruent Walking Conditions—A Virtual Reality Study
Reactivity of the Autonomic Nervous System During Visual‐Physical Incongruent Walking Conditions—A Virtual Reality Study Open
The force of gravity critically impacts locomotion regulation while walking on inclined surfaces. To construct an updated assessment about the gravitational consequences and change gait patterns accordingly, the central nervous system (CNS…
View article: A novel method for objective quantification of apathy based on gaze and physiological reactivity to stimuli presented in a virtual reality environment
A novel method for objective quantification of apathy based on gaze and physiological reactivity to stimuli presented in a virtual reality environment Open
INTRODUCTION We developed a tool for objective quantification of apathy. METHODS Participants ( n = 97; 67 with cognitive impairment, 30 cognitively normal; mean age = 74.3 ± 6.2 years, 56.7% females) were exposed to emotional and cognitiv…
View article: The effect of virtual visual scene inclination transitions on gait modulation in healthy older versus young adults—A virtual reality study
The effect of virtual visual scene inclination transitions on gait modulation in healthy older versus young adults—A virtual reality study Open
Bipedal locomotion requires body adaptation to maintain stability after encountering a transition to incline walking. A major part of this adaptation is reflected by adjusting walking speed. When transitioning to uphill walking, people exe…
View article: Virtual reality‐based cognitive‐motor training in middle‐aged adults at high Alzheimer’s disease risk improve cerebral blood flow in the frontal cortex: A randomized controlled trial
Virtual reality‐based cognitive‐motor training in middle‐aged adults at high Alzheimer’s disease risk improve cerebral blood flow in the frontal cortex: A randomized controlled trial Open
Background Increasing prevalence of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) and limited pharmacological intervention benefits to decelerate early neurodegeneration have prompted exploration of non‐pharmacological options. Recent studies indicate that com…
View article: A New Measure for Quantifying Four-Limb Coordination of Human Gait Based on Mobility Sensors
A New Measure for Quantifying Four-Limb Coordination of Human Gait Based on Mobility Sensors Open
Coordinated movement of four limbs is a hallmark of healthy locomotion. No measures exist to quantify four-limb coordination. This study aimed to investigate temporal four-limb coordination and proposed a new metric for quantifying the int…
View article: Assessment of verbal memory in Parkinson's disease utilizing a virtual reality-based Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test
Assessment of verbal memory in Parkinson's disease utilizing a virtual reality-based Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test Open
The Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT) is a commonly used tool for evaluating verbal learning and memory in neuropsychological assessments. In recent years, we developed a Virtual Reality (VR) adaptation of the RAVLT (VR-RVLT), aimi…
View article: Bringing the field into the lab: a novel virtual reality outdoor march simulator for evaluating cognitive and physical performance
Bringing the field into the lab: a novel virtual reality outdoor march simulator for evaluating cognitive and physical performance Open
Soldiers, athletes, and rescue personnel must often maintain cognitive focus while performing intense, prolonged, and physically demanding activities. The simultaneous activation of cognitive and physical functions can disrupt their perfor…
View article: Dopamine improves defective cortical and muscular connectivity during bilateral control of gait in Parkinson’s disease
Dopamine improves defective cortical and muscular connectivity during bilateral control of gait in Parkinson’s disease Open
Parkinson’s Disease (PD)-typical declines in gait coordination are possibly explained by weakness in bilateral cortical and muscular connectivity. Here, we seek to determine whether this weakness and consequent decline in gait coordination…
View article: Objective measurement of apathy and its differentiation from depression in dementia based on physiological reactivity to stimuli presented in virtual reality environment
Objective measurement of apathy and its differentiation from depression in dementia based on physiological reactivity to stimuli presented in virtual reality environment Open
Background We aimed to develop a tool for objective measurement of apathy and its differentiation from depression in the context of cognitive impairment. Method We exposed older adults with and without cognitive impairment (CI and CN, resp…
View article: Higher cognitive load interferes with head-hand coordination: virtual reality-based study
Higher cognitive load interferes with head-hand coordination: virtual reality-based study Open
Daily life activities often involve decision-based reaching movements in different contexts and circumstances. These activities span a wide array of cognitive load types we face while executing motor functions. Here we use a virtual realit…
View article: Supplementary Motor Area Activity Differs in Parkinson’s Disease with and without Freezing of Gait
Supplementary Motor Area Activity Differs in Parkinson’s Disease with and without Freezing of Gait Open
The study aimed to investigate the neural changes that differentiate Parkinson’s disease patients with freezing of gait and age-matched controls, using ambulatory electroencephalography event-related features. Compared to controls, definit…
View article: Improving old tricks as new: Young adults learn from repeating everyday activities
Improving old tricks as new: Young adults learn from repeating everyday activities Open
The notion that young healthy adults can substantially improve in activities that are part of their daily routine is often overlooked because it is assumed that such activities have come to be fully mastered. We followed, in young healthy …
View article: The effect of virtual visual scene inclination transitions on gait modulation in healthy young vs older adults - a virtual reality study
The effect of virtual visual scene inclination transitions on gait modulation in healthy young vs older adults - a virtual reality study Open
Bipedal locomotion requires body adaptation to maintain stability after encountering a transition to inclined walking. A major adaptation is the change in walking speed to maintain optimal energy consumption. When transitioning to uphill w…
View article: Balancing new technology: Virtual reality for balance measurement case report
Balancing new technology: Virtual reality for balance measurement case report Open
Rationale: Falling and the inability to maintain balance are the second leading cause of unintentional injury deaths globally. There are a number of chronic and acute conditions characterized by balance difficulties, including neurological…
View article: Bilateral Leg Stepping Coherence as a Predictor of Freezing of Gait in Patients With Parkinson’s Disease Walking With Wearable Sensors
Bilateral Leg Stepping Coherence as a Predictor of Freezing of Gait in Patients With Parkinson’s Disease Walking With Wearable Sensors Open
Wavelet analysis provides a relatively simple, promising approach for prediction of FOG in people with PD.
View article: Developing multiple shortened forms of virtual reality-based color trails test
Developing multiple shortened forms of virtual reality-based color trails test Open
The Color Trails Test (CTT) is a pencil-and-paper (P&P;) neuropsychological test. The CTT is divided into two parts that assess sustained visual attention (Trails A) and divided attention (Trails B). The CTT can also be performed in a virt…
View article: Development and validation of virtual reality-based Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test
Development and validation of virtual reality-based Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test Open
Objective Translations and adaptations of traditional neuropsychological tests to virtual reality (VR) technology bear the potential to increase their ecological validity since the technology enables simulating everyday life conditions in …
View article: Age and cognitive load affect muscle activation profiles in response to physical perturbations while walking
Age and cognitive load affect muscle activation profiles in response to physical perturbations while walking Open
To maintain balance during walking, the central nervous system must adjust the base of support (i.e., modulation of step length and step width) to the center of mass displacement in every step. We aimed to explore age and concurrent cognit…
View article: The trail less traveled: Analytical approach for creating shortened versions for virtual reality-based color trails test
The trail less traveled: Analytical approach for creating shortened versions for virtual reality-based color trails test Open
The Color Trails Test (“CTT”) is among the most popular neuropsychological assessment tests of executive function, targeting sustained visual attention (Trails A), and divided attention (Trails B). During the pen-and-paper (P&P;) test, the…
View article: Responses to balance challenges in persons with panic disorder: A pilot study of computerized static and dynamic balance measurements
Responses to balance challenges in persons with panic disorder: A pilot study of computerized static and dynamic balance measurements Open
Introduction Several studies have shown an association between panic disorder (PD) and reduced balance abilities, mainly based on functional balance scales. This pilot study aims to demonstrate the feasibility of studying balance abilities…
View article: Detecting Freezing of Gait with Earables Trained from VR Motion Capture Data
Detecting Freezing of Gait with Earables Trained from VR Motion Capture Data Open
Freezing of Gait (FoG) is a common disabling motor symptom in Parkinson’s Disease (PD). Auditory cueing provided when FoG is detected can help mitigate the condition, for which earables are potentially well suited as they are capable of mo…