JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) is a leading cause of disability worldwide, and virtual reality (VR) has emerged as a promising support tool for neurorehabilitation. However, the heterogeneity among VR interventions can lead to inconsistent outcomes and difficulty in determining efficacy. Recent reviews provide best practice recommendations for designing and implementing therapeutic VR to assess the acceptance of fully immersive VR interventions.

Objective:

This study aimed to assess the usability and feasibility of a co-designed VR-based neurorehabilitation support tool by conducting multiple Proof-of-Concept in a sample of patients with ABI within a hospital setting.

Methods:

A single session deploying custom immersive serious games to train cognitive functions in a new generation head-mounted display (HMD) was conducted in a sample of inpatients with ABI. Structured questionnaires were administered at the end of the session to assess the usability of the system and the intervention, the technology familiarity level of participants, and the cybersickness adverse effects. The training time wearing the headset and the demographic characteristics of the included participants were also considered.

Results:

Twenty patients with ABI conducted a Proof-of-Concept of 1h duration. The usability mean score was 37 (±2.6) over 40, the tech familiarity level was 9.2 (±2.9) over 12, and the Simulator Sickness Questionnaire total score was 1.3 (±2). The total mean duration of the intervention wearing the headset was about 25.6 (±4.7) minutes. There were no substantial differences in usability and tech familiarity level between patients’ etiology and age, nor significant symptoms of cybersickness. The results suggest that people with Stroke may endure longer interventions, without diminishing with age, unlike people with TBI. Significant strong correlations were observed between cybersickness symptoms and several usability categories regarding motivation, interactivity, task-specificity, and immersion aspects.

Conclusions:

Through a collaborative approach, this study demonstrates the usability and feasibility of a VR-based support tool for the cognitive rehabilitation of patients with ABI. The key elements of such interventions include a multidisciplinary set of immersive experiences incorporating neurorehabilitation principles and serious game techniques.