Wayfinding is a problem for persons with Alzheimer’s disease (AD), especially in complex environments such as senior residential communities. In this study, persons with AD or mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and a control group of older adults were asked to navigate a virtual reality simulation of a senior residential community. Subjects had to find their way repeatedly over multiple trials for two consecutive days in standard (no extra cues) and salient (colorful, memorable cues placed at key decision points) cue conditions. The results showed that all subjects found their way faster and more effectively in the salient cue condition than in the standard cue condition. Those in the AD/MCI group were significantly more impaired in wayfinding ability compared with those in the control group. Persons with impaired wayfinding ability due to AD and MCI can find their way more effectively in virtual environments enhanced with salient environmental cues.

中文翻译：

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虚拟老年住宅中阿尔茨海默病的显着线索和寻路

寻路对于阿尔茨海默病 (AD) 患者来说是一个问题，尤其是在高级住宅社区等复杂环境中。在这项研究中，患有 AD 或轻度认知障碍 (MCI) 的人和一组老年人被要求在一个高级住宅社区的虚拟现实模拟中导航。受试者必须在连续两天的标准（无额外提示）和显着（在关键决策点放置彩色、令人难忘的提示）提示条件下，在多次试验中反复找到自己的方法。结果表明，所有受试者在突出提示条件下比在标准提示条件下更快、更有效地找到了自己的方式。与对照组相比，AD/MCI 组的寻路能力明显受损。