Conventional test procedure

The so-called ETAM (Erlangen Test of Activities of Daily Living in Persons with Mild Dementia or Mild Cognitive Impairment) measures the correct performance of complex everyday practical skills that are of particular relevance to older people living alone.

The ETAM test procedures selected for the screening tool come from the areas of mobility and financial management.

In the course of the original, analogue test, the test person has to answer questions about six traffic situations depicted in photos and, in a fictitious shopping situation, select food from photos and count out the required coins.

Adapted test procedure

Video: ETAM Mobility VR

In the digitalised version of the test procedure, the test person finds themselves in a photorealistic traffic situation and has to decide and justify when, where and why they are going to the pharmacy. This was realised as a virtual reality (VR) application. This screening requires the Oculus Quest 2 VR glasses.

Video: ETAM Finance

Also, in a purely virtual, three-dimensional world, the test person has to carry out a number of activities in a supermarket that are important when shopping, such as selecting certain foods from a shopping list, recognizing reasonable priced food products and counting money.

Eine Frau bedient ein Tablet, auf dem die Live-Übertragung der VR-Brille und Buttons zu sehen sind. Im Hintergrund steht eine weitere Frau, die eine VR-Brille trägt und eine Aufgabe in der virtuellen Realität erfüllt.
The “ETAM” test procedure is carried out using the Oculus Quest 2 VR headset and can be followed in real time using a tablet computer. Abnormalities can also be annotated. The answers to control questions are also documented on the tablet computer.