Ana Lúcia Faria|Alexandre de Melo Andrade|Luísa Soares|Sergi Bermúdez i Badia
Benefits of virtual reality based cognitive rehabilitation through simulated activities of daily living: a randomized controlled trial with stroke patients
Universidade da Madeira|Universidade da Madeira
stroke one common causes acquired disability leaving numerous adults cognitive motor impairments affecting patients capability live independently substancial evidence poststroke cognitive rehabilitation benefits implementation generally limited use paperandpencil methods insufficient personalization suboptimal intensity virtual reality tools shown potential improving cognitive rehabilitation supporting carefully personalized ecologically valid tasks accessible technologies notwithstanding important progress vrbased cognitive rehabilitation systems specially activities daily living adls simulations still need clinical trials validation work present onemonth randomized controlled trial 18 stroke outpatients two rehabilitation units 9 performing vrbased intervention 9 performing conventional rehabilitationthe vrbased intervention involved virtual simulation city rehcity memory attention visuospatial abilities executive functions tasks integrated performance several daily routines intervention levels difficulty progression method fading cues pre postintervention assessment groups addenbrooke cognitive examination primary outcome trail making test b picture arrangement wais iii stroke impact scale 30 secondary outcomesa within groups analysis revealed significant improvements global cognitive functioning attention memory visuospatial abilities executive functions emotion overall recovery vr group control group improved selfreported memory social participation groups analysis showed significantly greater improvements global cognitive functioning attention executive functions comparing vr conventional therapyour results suggest cognitive rehabilitation rehcity ecologically valid vr system training adls impact conventional methodsthis trial registered small sample study evaluates clinical validity prototype virtual reality system