A Computational Approach for the Assessment of Executive Functions in Patients with Obsessive–Compulsive Disorder
by
Elisa Pedroli 1,2,*, Filippo La Paglia 3
, Pietro Cipresso 1,4, Caterina La Cascia 3, Giuseppe Riva 1,4 and Daniele La Barbera 3
Elisa Pedroli 1,2,*, Filippo La Paglia 3, Pietro Cipresso 1,4, Caterina La Cascia 3, Giuseppe Riva 1,4 and Daniele La Barbera 3
1
Applied Technology for Neuro-Psychology Lab, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Via Magnasco 2, 20149 Milano, Italy
2
Faculty of Psychology, eCampus University, Via Isimbardi, 10, 22060 Novedrate, Italy
3
Department of Experimental Biomedicine and Clinical Neuroscience, University of Palermo, Piazza Marina, 61, 90133 Palermo, Italy
4
Psychology Department, Catholic University of Milan, Largo Gemelli 1, 20123 Milan, Italy
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
J. Clin. Med. 2019, 8(11), 1975; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm8111975
Received: 16 October 2019 / Revised: 7 November 2019 / Accepted: 12 November 2019 / Published: 14 November 2019
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Virtual Reality in the Assessment, Understanding and Treatment of Mental Health Disorders)
Previous studies on obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) showed impairments in executive domains, particularly in cognitive inhibition. In this perspective, the use of virtual reality showed huge potential in the assessment of executive functions; however, unfortunately, to date, no study on the assessment of these patients took advantage of the use of virtual environments. One of the main problems faced within assessment protocols is the use of a limited number of variables and tools when tailoring a personalized program. The main aim of this study was to provide a heuristic decision tree for the future development of tailored assessment protocols. To this purpose, we conducted a study that involved 58 participants (29 OCD patients and 29 controls) to collect both classic neuropsychological data and precise data based on a validated protocol in virtual reality for the assessment of executive functions, namely, the VMET (virtual multiple errands test). In order to provide clear indications for working on executive functions with these patients, we carried out a cross-validation based on three learning algorithms and computationally defined two decision trees. We found that, by using three neuropsychological tests and two VMET scores, it was possible to discriminate OCD patients from controls, opening a novel scenario for future assessment protocols based on virtual reality and computational techniques.
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Keywords:
Obsessive–compulsive disorders; virtual reality; multiple errands test; cognitive assessment; executive functions; computational models; decision tree; cross-validation
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MDPI and ACS Style
Pedroli, E.; La Paglia, F.; Cipresso, P.; La Cascia, C.; Riva, G.; La Barbera, D. A Computational Approach for the Assessment of Executive Functions in Patients with Obsessive–Compulsive Disorder. J. Clin. Med. 2019, 8, 1975.
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