Evaluation of a Virtual Reality-based Version of the Multiple Errands Test in Alcohol Use Disorder

The project aims to validate the virtual version of the Multiple Errands Test (V-MET) as a tool for assessing executive function in patients with alcohol use disorder (AUD), in comparison to the original test (MET), by:

• establishing the ecological validity of the V-MET: a high correlation between performance on the MET and performance on the V-MET (total number of errors) in patients with TUAL and executive dysfunction.
• establishing the sensitivity of the V-MET (to executive dysfunction): significant difference between V-MET performance in patients with an AUD and executive dysfunction versus (a) patients without executive dysfunction and (b) "healthy" volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• written consent
• Normal or corrected vision and hearing
• Membership or entitlement to a social security plan
• spoken and written French
• third party liability insurance

for patients only :

• at least 6 criteria for AUD based on the Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders
• At the end of withdrawal: treatment with a diazepam equivalent of ≤ 20 mg/day

Exclusion criteria

• under tutorship/ judicial protection
• Sensory or motor impairment (impeding the use of virtual reality and/or mobility)
• Severe neurological disorder (such as dementia or Korsakoff's syndrome)
• Photosensitive epilepsy (contraindication for the use of virtual reality)
• Any other condition deemed incompatible with the study, at the investigator's discretion
• Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) score < 10 (severe cognitive impairment)
• Breastfeeding or pregnant women
• Familiarity with the supermarket visited during the MET test

For controls only :

• History of alcohol use disorder
• score ≥ 8 on the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test
• Score on the Frontal Assessment Battery < 16 (or < 15 if education is below secondary level)