Portuguese version (original)
Júlio, F., Ribeiro, M.J., Patrício, M., Malhão, A., Pedrosa, F., Gonçalves, H., Simões, M., van Asselen, M., Simões, M.R., Castelo-Branco, M., & Januário, C. (2019). A Novel Ecological Approach Reveals Early Executive Function Impairments in Huntington’s Disease. Frontiers in Psychology, 10, 585. http://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00585
Theoretical background
The EcoKitchen task aims to quantitatively assess the earliest cognitive and functional changes shown by Huntington’s disease and Parkinson’s Disease patients. The EcoKitchen was designed to evaluate planning, multi-tasking, set-shifting, cognitive flexibility, self-monitoring, sequencing, divided attention, and scanning skills. The EcoKitchen intends to provide a more realistic testing ground to assess the subtle alterations that patients with basal ganglia and frontostriatal circuitry involvement often present in their everyday life activities, such as household tasks.
Description
Assessment: executive functions
Type of instrument: non-immersive virtual reality task that simulates routine actions done in a kitchen setting and is composed by three blocks of increasing difficulty level.
Administration: performance-based assessment tool
Population: adults and older adults
Studies
Studies with EcoKitchen were conducted in older adults, premanifest and early manifest Huntington’s disease patients, and early onset and early stage Parkinson’s disease patients.
Future research
The authors are available to collaborate in research projects related to this instrument.
Funding
The EcoKitchen studies were funded by FCT – Foundation for Science and Technology PhD Grant – SFRH/BD/85358/2012; Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Lisboa – PSCNC; FEDER – European Regional Development Fund – PTDC/SAU-ENB/112306/20; (PEst) Foundation for Science and Technology: UID/NEU/04539/2013; POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007440.
Contacts
Filipa Júlio (julio.filipa@gmail.com)
References
- Júlio, F., Ribeiro, M. J., Simões, M. R., Castelo-Branco, M., & Januário, C. (2023). Assessing the impact of age on everyday cognitive function with a virtual environment task: The EcoKitchen. Applied Neuropsychology Adult, 1–11. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/23279095.2023.2265521
- Júlio, F., Ribeiro, M. J., Morgadinho, A., Sousa, M., van Asselen, M., Simões, M. R., Castelo-Branco, M., & Januário, C. (2022). Cognition, function and awareness of disease impact in early Parkinson's and Huntington's disease. Disability and Rehabilitation, 44(6), 921–939. https://doi.org/10.1080/09638288.2020.1783001
- Júlio, F., Ribeiro, M.J., Patrício, M., Malhão, A., Pedrosa, F., Gonçalves, H., Simões, M., van Asselen, M., Simões, M.R., Castelo-Branco, M., & Januário, C. (2019). A Novel Ecological Approach Reveals Early Executive Function Impairments in Huntington’s Disease. Frontiers in Psychology, 10, 585. http://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00585