Use of the virtual action planning supermarket for the diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment

Background: Although executive functioning (EF) was found to be associated with cognitive deterioration, the majority of the tests for assessing EF lack ecological validity. Aims: To examine the feasibility and the validity of the virtual action planning supermarket (VAP-S) for the diagnosis of patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Methods: Thirty MCI patients (mean age = 69.5 years) were compared to 30 healthy elderly persons (mean age = 69.2 years) in their performance of the VAP-S. Results: Significant differences were found between the groups in the majority of the measures of the VAP-S. The combination of the MMSE and the trajectory duration provided the best predictive classification for the groups. Conclusion: MCI patients have EF deficits, and the VAP-S is a viable tool to assess EF deficits in patients with MCI and healthy elderly.