Virtual reality in paediatric rehabilitation: A review

Abstract

Objective: To provide a narrative review of studies regarding the outcomes of Virtual Reality (VR)-based treatment and rehabilitation programmes within the paediatric population.

Methods: Studies related to the use of VR across a number of paediatric areas (e.g. cerebral palsy, autism, foetal alcohol syndrome and attention deficits) were identified and summarized.

Results: Outcomes from the studies reviewed provide preliminary support for the use of VR.

Conclusion: VR may be an effective treatment method for specific disorders, although the generalizability of this literature is hindered by several methodological limitations, such as small samples and the absence of appropriate control participants.

• Virtual reality
• rehabilitation
• neurocognitive
• neuopsychology
• paediatric
• virtual environment