Neuroanatomy is difficult for psychology students because of spatial visualization and the relationship among brain structures. Some technologies have been implemented to facilitate the learning of anatomy using three‐dimensional (3D) visualization of anatomy contents. Augmented reality (AR) is a promising technology in this field. A mobile AR application to provide the visualization of morphological and functional information of the brain was developed. A sample of 67 students of neuropsychology completed tests for visuospatial ability, anatomical knowledge, learning goals, and experience with technologies. Subsequently, they performed a learning activity using one of the visualization methods considered: a 3D method using the AR application and a two‐dimensional (2D) method using a textbook to color, followed by questions concerning their satisfaction and knowledge. After using the alternative method, the students expressed their preference. The two methods improved knowledge equally, but the 3D method obtained higher satisfaction scores and was more preferred by students. The 3D method was also more preferred by the students who used this method during the activity. After controlling for the method used in the activity, associations were found between the preference of the 3D method because of its usability and experience with technologies. These results found that the AR application was highly valued by students to learn and was as effective as the textbook for this purpose.

SARS-CoV-2 infection produces a wide range of symptoms. Some of the structural changes caused by the virus in the nervous system are found in the medial temporal lobe, and several neuropsychological sequelae of COVID-19 are related to the function of the hippocampus. The main objective of the systematic review is to update and further analyze the existing evidence of hippocampal and related cortices' structural and functional alterations due to SARS-CoV-2 infection. Both clinical and preclinical studies that used different methodologies to explore the effects of this disease at different stages and grades of severity were considered, besides exploring related cognitive and emotional symptomatology. A total of 24 studies were identified by searching in SCOPUS, Web Of Science (WOS), PubMed, and PsycInfo databases up to October 3^rd, 2022. Thirteen studies were performed in clinical human samples, 9 included preclinical animal models, 3 were performed post-mortem, and 1 included both post-mortem and preclinical samples. Alterations in the hippocampus were detected in the acute stage and after several months of infection. Clinical studies revealed alterations in hippocampal connectivity and metabolism. Memory alterations correlated with altered metabolic profiles or changes in grey matter volumes. Hippocampal human postmortem and animal studies observed alterations in neurogenesis, dendrites, and immune response, besides high apoptosis and neuroinflammation. Preclinical studies reported the viral load in the hippocampus. Olfactory dysfunction was associated with alterations in brain functionality. Several clinical studies revealed cognitive complaints, neuropsychological alterations, and depressive and anxious symptomatology.

SARS-CoV-2 infection has a wide range of both acute and long-term symptoms. Memory alterations have been frequently reported in studies that explore cognition. The main objective of the systematic review is to update and further analyze the existing evidence of objective memory impairments in long-COVID-19 considering sample and study design characteristics, as well as to explore associations between memory performance and their epidemiological, clinical, and pathological features. A total of 13 studies were identified by searching in PubMed, Web of Science, and PsycInfo databases up to May 6, 2022. Most studies evaluated verbal component of memory in the short-term and long-term recall up to 30 min and mainly performed a single assessment completed at 4–6 months after the infection. The samples mainly consisted of middle-aged adults that required hospitalization. Samples were not stratified by sex, age, and severity. Poor verbal learning was reported in most cases (6–58%), followed by deficits in long-term (4–58%) and short-term (4–37%) verbal memory. Visuospatial component of memory was studied less than verbal component, showing impairment of long-term retention of visual items (10–49%). COVID-19 severity in the acute stage was not systematically associated with poor memory performance. Verbal memory deficits were associated with anxiety and depression. The existing literature on objective memory assessment in long-COVID suggests further research is warranted to confirm memory dysfunction in association with epidemiological, pathological, and clinical factors, using both verbal and visuospatial tests, and exploring in deep long-term memory deficits.

The potential of augmented reality (AR) technology for the study of spatial memory and orientation is a new research field. AR defines systems that attempt to enhance the user’s experience with the physical world. In our app, we enhance the sense of sight by adding interactive 3D elements to the real environment. Our app can be used in any real environment so that the experimental conditions during the tasks and the way in which an individual navigates are similar to those used in real life. With AR, the experimenter has a high level of control of the task and can store the participant’s responses accurately. The classical factors that influence an individual’s performance on virtual spatial tasks are gender and cognitive factors. The influence of emotional factors on spatial performance has been studied more recently. Since AR tasks for the study of spatial memory and spatial orientation are new developments, little is known about the factors that are related to performance on tasks of this type. In our study, we tested 46 young adults (26 women) in an AR object-location task that was performed in a building. The participants had to memorize the position of eight virtual objects while they were walking through the environment. We also assessed the participants’ performance on an object-recall task, a map-pointing task, and a paper-and-pencil spatial orientation task. The self-reported importance of different spatial strategies for wayfinding and the levels of trait anxiety and wayfinding anxiety were also evaluated. Our findings indicate that men performed better on the spatial paper-and-pencil test and spent more time completing the learning phase of the AR task. The spatial memory for the location of the objects in AR and on the map correlated positively. Anxiety was related to individual differences in the self-reported use of a spatial orientation strategy, but the association among them was weak. Trait anxiety was positively related to the time employed by the participants during the learning phase of the AR task, whereas wayfinding anxiety correlated negatively with the preference for an orientation strategy. Our results highlight the importance of anxiety in spatial orientation.

The use of virtual reality-based tasks for studying memory has increased considerably. Most of the studies that have looked at child population factors that influence performance on such tasks have been focused on cognitive variables. However, little attention has been paid to the impact of non-cognitive skills. In the present paper, we tested 52 typically-developing children aged 5 to 12 years in a virtual object-location task. The task assessed their spatial short-term memory for the location of three objects in a virtual city. The virtual task environment was presented using a 3D application consisting of a 120" stereoscopic screen and a gamepad interface. Measures of learning and displacement indicators in the virtual environment, 3D perception, satisfaction, and usability were obtained. We assessed the children's videogame experience, their visuospatial span, their ability to build blocks, and emotional and behavioral outcomes. The results indicate that learning improved with age. Significant effects on the speed of navigation were found favouring boys and those more experienced with videogames. Visuospatial skills correlated mainly with ability to recall object positions, but the correlation was weak. Longer paths were related with higher scores of withdrawal behavior, attention problems, and a lower visuospatial span. Aggressiveness and experience with the device used for interaction were related with faster navigation. However, the correlations indicated only weak associations among these variables.