Virtual reality-based attention training in patients with neurological damage: A pilot study

ABSTRACT

Virtual Reality has been shown to be a valid tool to assess cognitive functions in an ecologically valid way. However, evidence regarding its effectiveness as a treatment option for cognitive rehabilitation has been limited. Furthermore, its potential to facilitate the transfer of training effects to patients’ everyday life is still poorly studied. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of a VR-based attention training and its transfer to attentional functioning in everyday life. Nineteen inpatients with neurological disorders and attentional deficits underwent daily 30-min VR training sessions over a two-week period. Attentional functions were assessed before and after the training period using several computerized tests, two self-constructed behavioral tasks, and a questionnaire assessing patients’ subjective attentional functioning. Pre-Post-analyses show significant decreases in reaction times in the computerized alertness and selective attention tests. Transfer to the behavioral tasks and self-report data could not be observed. Despite the specificity of the changes, confounding effects cannot entirely be ruled out due to the lack of a control group. Results suggest that training was effective in improving attentional functioning along neuropsychological measures, but did not elicit transfer to an ecologically valid or subjective level. Implications for the future development of VR interventions are discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• Virtual reality
• cognitive rehabilitation
• cognitive training
• attention
• transfer

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data deposition

The data was not stored in a public data repository and is only accessible upon reasonable request from the corresponding author LL.

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author, LL, upon reasonable request.

Additional information

Funding

This project was funded by the Interreg North-West Europe (NWE) program “VR4Rehab” (NWE585; http://www.nweurope.eu/projects-search/vr4rehab-virtual-reality-for-rehabilitation).