Background: Virtual reality (VR) technology has demonstrated usefulness in diagnosis, education, and training. Studies supporting use of VR as a therapeutic treatment in medical rehabilitation settings remain limited. This study examines the use of VR in a treatment capacity, and whether it can be effectively integrated into neurorehabilitation.
Objective: To determine whether immersive VR treatment interventions improve executive dysfunction in patients with brain injury and whether performance is stronger on a VR version of the Stroop than traditional Stroop formats.
Methods: 15 patients with brain injury admitted to day neurorehabilitation.
Outcome measures: reaction time, inhibition, and accuracy indices on VR Stroop; Automated Neuropsychological Assessment Metrics (ANAM) Stroop, Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System Stroop, Golden Stroop, and Woodcock-Johnson, 3rd Edition (WJ-III): Pair Cancellation.
Results: Participants demonstrated significantly reduced response time on the word-reading condition of VR Stroop and non-significantly reduced response time on the interference condition. Non-significant improvements in accuracy and inhibition were demonstrated on the color-naming condition of VR Stroop. Significantly improved accuracy under time pressure was found for the ANAM, after VR intervention.
Conclusion: Implementation of immersive VR interventions during neurorehabilitation is effective in improving specific executive functions and information processing speed in brain-injured patients during the subacute period.
Keywords: Brain injuries; executive function; inpatients; rehabilitation; treatment outcome; virtual reality exposure therapy.