Background In recent years, the developments of virtual reality technology have provided a new technological tool for understanding human spatial cognitive abilities.
Objective To establish reference values of mental rotation test for air force pilots based on virtual reality and provide a new method for evaluating their spatial visualization ability. Methods Air force pilots who underwent medical examination in Air Force Specialized Medical Center from March to October in 2022 were selected. They received R letter rotation test based on virtual reality. The pilot flight ability evaluation scale was used as a criterion of test validity. Their reaction time was recorded and the normal reference range was defined as 95% CI. And the difference in reaction time was compared between different age groups, different flight time groups and different air force pilot types.
Results Totally 131 male pilots aged (30.52 ± 6.84) years old were enrolled. The reference range of reaction time in R letter rotation test was 14 to 29 seconds. Pilots in 22 - 28 years old age group had significantly slower reaction time than those in more than 35 years old group (P＜0.05). Pilots with less than 1 000 hours of flight time had significantly slower reaction time than those in the other two groups (P=0.015; P=0.002). There was no significant difference in reaction time between different air force pilot types (P=0.675). Pilots’ scale scores were negatively correlated with their reaction time (r=-0.242, P=0.005), while their age and flight time were positively correlated with their reaction time (r=0.282, P=0.001; r=0.324, P＜0.001).
Conclusion This study establishes a new test method and reference range for mental rotation test, which provides an objective reference for spatial visualization ability and medical assessment.
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