Virtual reality for cognitive rehabilitation after brain injury: a systematic review

J Phys Ther Sci. 2015 Sep;27(9):2999-3002. doi: 10.1589/jpts.27.2999. Epub 2015 Sep 30.

Abstract

[Purpose] The purpose of this review was to investigate various types of VR programs and their use in cognitive evaluations and interventions for patients with brain injury. [Subjects and Methods] PubMed, Cochrane, and OTseeker electronic databases were searched with the search terms. At of 350 titles and abstracts were retrieved, and 17 articles were selected for this review. Selected articles were assessed on the level of evidence using the Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) scale. [Results] Articles assessing the impact of cognitive impairments in memory were most commonly found, and VR interventions elicited positive effects in patients with brain injury. [Conclusion] VR can be considered a new tool for cognitive rehabilitation after brain injury. VR interventions also have a number of advantages, e.g. cost-effectiveness, compared to other interventions.

Keywords: Brain injury; Systematic review; Virtual reality.

Publication types

  • Review