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The researchers are using a virtual reality game to study Alzheimer's disease and dementia and claim that the game has already collected the equivalent of 1,700 years of data in just a few years.
A study spotted by Kotaku UK on Sea Hero Quest shows how the virtual reality game has helped researchers collect information about the first signs of Alzheimer's disease on a large scale and in a limited period of time.
The game itself asks its players to navigate a virtual boat using checkpoints that they must save in memory. This loop aims to analyze some of the earlier symptoms of Alzheimer's disease, as opposed to the more well-known advanced symptoms, such as severe memory loss.
The researchers estimate that two minutes of play equates to about five hours of laboratory research. The project allowed the team to quickly collect data that can then be used as a basis for comparing more targeted tests with
For example, they studied people with a specific gene, APOE4, believed to be related to dementia and compared their performance to that of players who do not have the APOE4 gene. The study revealed that high-risk genetic gamblers generally used less efficient routes and performed poorly in space navigation tasks.
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