Nesplora ICE-CREAM Test: A Normative Study of a Virtual Realitybased Executive Function Assessment in Adults

Fidel Rebón ^1,2 Debora Areces ³ Miguel Saura-Carrasco ¹ Claudia Flores ³ Celestino Rodríguez ³ Unai Diaz-Orueta ^2,4 Gema Climent ⁵ Irene Alice Chicchi Giglioli ^1,6*

• ¹ Giunti-Nesplora SL., Madrid, Spain
• ² International University of La Rioja (UNIR), Logroño, Spain
• ³ University of Oviedo, Faculty of Psychology, Oviedo, Spain
• ⁴ Maynooth University, Maynooth, County Kildare, Ireland
• ⁵ University of Almeria, Almería, Andalusia, Spain
• ⁶ GIUNTI Intenational Division (Italy), Florence, Italy

This study aims to obtain normative data for participants aged 17 to 80 who completed the Nesplora Ice Cream test, a virtual reality tool for assessing executive functions. The sample consisted of 419 participants (51% female), recruited from nine sites in Spain. Trained evaluators administered the test to the participants. Empirical analysis revealed three factors: planning, learning, and flexibility. Descriptive normative data were provided by age and gender, with no significant gender differences found. Cluster analysis created age groups for each factor: 17-40, 41-61, and 62-80 for planning; 17-44, 45-61, and 62-80 for learning; and 17-20, 21-36, and 37-80 for flexibility. Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the three-factor structure. Data on validity, reliability, and internal consistency are also included. These normative data are useful for assessing executive functions in an ecologically valid manner. Further research is needed to assess the test’s sensitivity and specificity in clinical populations. Additionally, these norms provide a robust reference point for studying the early identification of executive dysfunction in adults, as well as the effects of neurodegenerative conditions in clinical settings, enabling timely and personalized interventions.