Virtual reality (VR) head-mounted displays (HMD) appear to be effective research tools, which may address the problem of ecological validity in neuropsychological testing. However, their widespread implementation is hindered by VR induced symptoms and effects (VRISE) and the lack of skills in VR software development. This study offers guidelines for the development of VR software in cognitive neuroscience and neuropsychology, by describing and discussing the stages of the development of Virtual Reality Everyday Assessment Lab (VR-EAL), the first neuropsychological battery in immersive VR. Techniques for evaluating cognitive functions within a realistic storyline are discussed. The utility of various assets in Unity, software development kits, and other software are described so that cognitive scientists can overcome challenges pertinent to VRISE and the quality of the VR software. In addition, this pilot study attempts to evaluate VR-EAL in accordance with the necessary criteria for VR software for research purposes. The VR neuroscience questionnaire (VRNQ; Kourtesis et al., 2019b) was implemented to appraise the quality of the three versions of VR-EAL in terms of user experience, game mechanics, in-game assistance, and VRISE. Twenty-five participants aged between 20 and 45 years with 12-16 years of full-time education evaluated various versions of VR-EAL. The final version of VR-EAL achieved high scores in every sub-score of the VRNQ and exceeded its parsimonious cut-offs. It also appeared to have better in-game assistance and game mechanics, while its improved graphics substantially increased the quality of the user experience and almost eradicated VRISE. The results substantially support the feasibility of the development of effective VR research and clinical software without the presence of VRISE during a 60-minute VR session.

中文翻译：

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用于认知神经科学和神经心理学的沉浸式虚拟现实软件开发指南：虚拟现实日常评估实验室（VR-EAL）的开发

虚拟现实（VR）头戴式显示器（HMD）似乎是有效的研究工具，可能会解决神经心理学测试中的生态有效性问题。但是，由于VR引起的症状和效应（VRISE）以及VR软件开发技能的缺乏，阻碍了它们的广泛实施。这项研究通过描述和讨论虚拟现实日常评估实验室（VR-EAL）（沉浸式VR中的第一个神经心理学电池）的开发阶段，为认知神经科学和神经心理学中VR软件的开发提供了指导。讨论了评估真实故事情节中认知功能的技术。Unity中各种资产的实用程序，软件开发套件，描述了其他软件，以便认知科学家可以克服与VRISE和VR软件质量相关的挑战。此外，该初步研究尝试根据用于研究目的的VR软件的必要标准评估VR-EAL。实施了VR神经科学问卷（VRNQ; Kourtesis等，2019b），以从用户体验，游戏机制，游戏中辅助和VRISE方面评估三个版本的VR-EAL的质量。25名年龄在20至45岁之间，接受了12-16年的全日制教育的参与者评估了各种版本的VR-EAL。最终版本的VR-EAL在VRNQ的每个子评分中都获得了高分，并超过了其简化的标准。它似乎还具有更好的游戏内协助和游戏机制，同时其改进的图形大大提高了用户体验的质量，几乎消除了VRISE。结果在60分钟的VR会话中没有VRISE的情况下，实质上支持了开发有效的VR研究和临床软件的可行性。