Significance of Virtual Reality-Based Rehabilitation in Acquired Brain Injury

Abstract

Recent research has shown the potential of Virtual Reality (VR) in the field of rehabilitation, namely neurocognitive rehabilitation. This technology will certainly revolutionize the rehabilitation of the future. Its advantages include greater ecological validity than conventional rehabilitation methods, provision of safe contexts for learning/training, the possibility of programs to be contingent on patient performance, with increasing levels of task difficulty and provision of immediate feedback, and the use of a “game factor” that promotes motivation for participation. These are important aspects in the rehabilitation of patients with acquired brain injury. Patients with this and other types of neurological injuries endure cognitive deficits that cause difficulties in independent functioning and daily-life activities. Their rehabilitation calls for systematic intervention programs that are theoretically grounded and use innovative approaches to their advantage. In this paper we present a review about the advantages of VR in the generalization of acquired skills to real-life contexts, to promote patients' functionality and quality of life, and propose an innovative program of neurocognitive rehabilitation. Research in the field shows positive effects of VR programs, but urges progress in terms of the development of techniques (e.g., facial synthesis and of more research on the impact of these interventions. Future studies should also explore the existence of neuro-anatomical correlates of behavioral changes, contributing to the investigation of the relationship between neural plasticity and behavior and providing evidence for clinical practice.

Virtual and real ATM use performance in patients with acquired brain injury and healthy controls

“…Regarding the advantages of using virtual systems for rehabilitation purposes, in general, the scientific literature emphasizes: its ecological validity, since it is able to more accurately portray spatial, temporal, and situational factors in the field of application; immediate dynamic feedback; training involves increasing learning; repetition and modification of tasks appropriate to each individual; the individual is not exposed to social judgment; it is considered an effective strategy in psychotherapy; the scenarios are fully controllable as are the stimuli presented and there are no physical or mental consequences after the error (Dores et al 2016;Faria et al 2016;Gamito, et al 2015;Parsons 2015). Opting for a less immersive platform (i.e., desktop virtual reality) presents a plausible way to counterbalance costs while also lowering the task effort and simulator sickness (Srivastava et al 2019).…”

A Rehabilitation Gaming System for Cognitive Deficiencies: Design and Usability Evaluation

“…The therapists' rating of items [11][12][13][14][15][16], presented in Table III shows that the RGS was easy to use. RGS has functionalities and services that are clear and an interface that is simple, both of which contributed towards this rating.…”

“…Technological advances and the use of Serious Games for rehabilitation brings about many benefits and fulfills stakeholder needs in various ways [10]. In comparison to traditional rehabilitation exercises, rehabilitation based on games offer numerous advantages such as ensuring the patient stays motivated to play and engage with the exercises via a built-in reward system instead of purely relying on real-world incentives [11]. Additionally, patients often lose interest and give up when it comes to exercises that are very repetitive [12].…”

Efficacy of ICT-Based Neurocognitive Rehabilitation Programs for Acquired Brain Injury

“…The broad task diversity, the concerns with motivation, and the ecological validity that many of these programs present, offer the opportunity of rehabilitate multiple cognitive domains at the same time, using tasks closer to daily life activities. These characteristics are facilitating the learning process and the generalization of the acquired capacities (Cruz et al, 2013;Dores et al, 2016;Joseph, Mazaux, & Sorita, 2014).…”