BACKGROUND: A growing interest in non-pharmacological approaches aimed at cognitive rehabilitation and cognitive enhancement pointed towards the application of new technologies. The complex virtual reality (VR) presented using immersive devices has been considered a promising approach. OBJECTIVE: The article provides a systematic review of studies aimed at the efficacy of VR-based rehabilitation. First, we shortly summarize literature relevant to the role of immersion in memory assessment and rehabilitation. METHODS: We searched Web of Science, ScienceDirect, and PubMed with the search terms "memory rehabilitation", "virtual reality", "memory deficit". Only original studies investigating the efficacy of complex three-dimensional VR in rehabilitation and reporting specific memory output measures were included. RESULTS: We identified 412 citations, of which 21 met our inclusion criteria. We calculated appropriate effect sizes for 10 studies including control groups and providing descriptive data. The effect sizes range from large to small, or no effect of memory rehabilitation was present, depending on the control condition applied. Summarized studies with missing control groups point out to potential positive effects of VR but do not allow any generalization. CONCLUSIONS: Even though there are some theoretical advantages of immersive VE over non-immersive technology, there is not enough evidence yet to draw any conclusions.
- Keywords
- Virtual reality, immersion, memory, rehabilitation,
- MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Neurological Rehabilitation * methods MeSH
- Memory MeSH
- Memory Disorders * rehabilitation MeSH
- Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy * instrumentation methods MeSH
- Check Tag
- Humans MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Systematic Review MeSH
BACKGROUND: Education and learning are the most important goals of all universities. For this purpose, lecturers use various tools to grab the attention of students and improve their learning ability. Virtual reality refers to the subjective sensory experience of being immersed in a computer-mediated world, and has recently been implemented in learning environments. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to analyze the effect of a virtual reality condition on students' learning ability and physiological state. METHODS: Students were shown 6 sets of videos (3 videos in a two-dimensional condition and 3 videos in a three-dimensional condition), and their learning ability was analyzed based on a subsequent questionnaire. In addition, we analyzed the reaction of the brain and facial muscles of the students during both the two-dimensional and three-dimensional viewing conditions and used fractal theory to investigate their attention to the videos. RESULTS: The learning ability of students was increased in the three-dimensional condition compared to that in the two-dimensional condition. In addition, analysis of physiological signals showed that students paid more attention to the three-dimensional videos. CONCLUSIONS: A virtual reality condition has a greater effect on enhancing the learning ability of students. The analytical approach of this study can be further extended to evaluate other physiological signals of subjects in a virtual reality condition.
- Keywords
- brain, facial muscle, fractal theory, learning ability, virtual reality,
- MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Students MeSH
- Learning physiology MeSH
- Virtual Reality * MeSH
- Check Tag
- Humans MeSH
- Male MeSH
- Female MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
Therapy for public speaking phobia using virtual reality exposure (VRE) has focused on distress arousal rather than distress habituation. Understanding habituation will help optimise session duration, making treatment more affordable and accessible. This pilot study utilised within-speech repeated measures to examine distress habituation during three brief public speaking scenarios in a non-clinical sample (n = 19; 18-76 years). VRE elicited significant distress in all three scenarios. Although within-scenario distress habituation was not observed, between-scenario habituation was partially supported. An increase in distress during the second scenario indicated that three consecutive speech performances were critical in achieving habituation. Brief repeated VRE scenarios using an agent audience were effective in eliciting public speaking distress, as well as habituation.
- MeSH
- Adult MeSH
- Habituation, Psychophysiologic MeSH
- Middle Aged MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Adolescent MeSH
- Young Adult MeSH
- Pilot Projects MeSH
- Speech * MeSH
- Aged MeSH
- Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy methods MeSH
- Anxiety prevention & control therapy MeSH
- Virtual Reality * MeSH
- Teaching MeSH
- Check Tag
- Adult MeSH
- Middle Aged MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Adolescent MeSH
- Young Adult MeSH
- Aged MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
PURPOSE: Amblyopia is one of the most common childhood disease. The average prevalence of amblyopia in children is estimated at 2-5 %. It arises during the child development until the age of six, if not treated then, it persist throught adulthood. The aim of our work is to retrospectively analyze the results of treatment of anisometropic amblyopia using dichoptical training in virtual reality in adult amblyopic patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Our group consisted of 84 amblyopic patients with anisometropic amblyopia with an average age of 33.8 ± 9.4 years. Patients played a video game twice a week in the Oculus Rift 3D virtual reality. Together they completed 8 visual trainings, with one training lasting 60 minutes. Before and after the training we evaluated the best corrected visual acuity (BCVA). DISCUSSION: Throughout the group, we observed an improvement of 0.1 BCVA from 0.48 to 0.58 Sloan table (p.
- Keywords
- adult patient, anisometropic amblyopia, pleoptics, video games, virtual reality, visual training,
- MeSH
- Amblyopia * therapy MeSH
- Child MeSH
- Adult MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Young Adult MeSH
- Retrospective Studies MeSH
- Virtual Reality * MeSH
- Treatment Outcome MeSH
- Visual Acuity MeSH
- Check Tag
- Child MeSH
- Adult MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Young Adult MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
OBJECTIVE: This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to analyze and synthesize the evidence on the effectiveness of virtual reality (VR) interventions in the prevention of pain, fear and anxiety during burn wound care procedures. METHODS: In September and October 2021, PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane Library and Web of Science were searched for relevant randomized controlled and crossover studies. Two independent authors described the following inclusion criteria for the search: patients undergoing burn wound care with applied VR treatment compared to any other or non-VR intervention. From a total of 1171 records, 25 met the inclusion criteria. After full-text screening, seven publications were excluded. The risk of bias was assessed for 18 studies by two independent authors. RevMan 5.4 was used for the statistical analysis, meta-analysis and visual presentation of the results. RESULTS: The meta-analysis showed a significant difference between VR treatment and standard care when analyzing pain outcome during wound care procedures (SMD = -0.49; 95% CI [-0.78, -0.15]; I2 = 41%) and in subgroup analysis when immersive VR was incorporated (SMD = -0.71; 95% CI [-1.07, -0.36]; I2 = 0%). No significant differences were found between VR treatment and standard care for range of motion outcome (SMD = 0.44; 95% CI [-0.23, 1.11]; I2 = 50%). CONCLUSIONS: VR seems to be an effective therapeutic support in burn wound care procedures for reducing pain. However, this systematic review and meta-analysis highlights the need for more research into the use of VR as a distraction method. Studies on larger groups using similar conditions can provide unequivocal evidence of the effectiveness of VR and enable the inclusion of such intervention in standard medical procedures.
- Keywords
- Burns, Pain management, Physiotherapy, Virtual technology,
- MeSH
- Pain MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Pain Management methods MeSH
- Burns * therapy MeSH
- Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy * MeSH
- Virtual Reality * MeSH
- Check Tag
- Humans MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Meta-Analysis MeSH
- Review MeSH
- Systematic Review MeSH
There is growing interest in virtual reality (VR) training among competitive athletes and casual sports players alike as a tool to supplement real-life play within a highly controlled, intellectually stimulating environment. We examined data from a commercially available, recently released VR software for tennis for changes in and correlates of performance. Two most frequently used tasks were evaluated-Baseline Center and Quick Volley, which include Efficiency (both), Concentration (both), and Reaction Time (Quick Volley only) subtasks. In all, 1,124 (Baseline Center) and 745 (Quick Volley) users met inclusion criteria (completed more than four trials; active sometime between November 2022 and July 2023). We found that most users were male adults and were about evenly split between advanced/pro users and intermediate/beginner users. Two or three trajectories emerged across the subtasks. Performance gains were most pronounced on movement efficiency, especially early on. Adult users generally exhibited more improvement than junior users. Additionally, women and right-handed users improved more on Baseline Center subtasks, and advanced/pro users did better than intermediate/beginner users on Quick Volley subtasks. We discuss that, despite strong performance gains within VR environment, VR training may still reflect in better real-world performance, may increase confidence and accuracy of relevant movement, lower risk of injury, and present a welcome diversion from a potential monotony of performing sport-related tasks in purely real-world settings. Future research should explore the extent to which VR training transfers to real-world performance.
- Keywords
- athletic training, tennis, virtual reality,
- MeSH
- Adult MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Adolescent MeSH
- Young Adult MeSH
- Psychomotor Performance physiology MeSH
- Athletic Performance * physiology MeSH
- Tennis * MeSH
- Virtual Reality * MeSH
- Check Tag
- Adult MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Adolescent MeSH
- Young Adult MeSH
- Male MeSH
- Female MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
With the development of light microscopy, it is becoming increasingly easy to obtain detailed multicolor fluorescence volumetric data. The need for their appropriate visualization has become an integral part of fluorescence imaging. Virtual reality (VR) technology provides a new way of visualizing multidimensional image data or models so that the entire 3D structure can be intuitively observed, together with different object features or details on or within the object. With the need for imaging advanced volumetric data, demands for the control of virtual object properties are increasing; this happens especially for multicolor objects obtained by fluorescent microscopy. Existing solutions with universal VR controllers or software-based controllers with the need to define sufficient space for the user to manipulate data in VR are not usable in many practical applications. Therefore, we developed a custom gesture-based VR control system with a custom controller connected to the FluoRender visualization environment. A multitouch sensor disk was used for this purpose. Our control system may be a good choice for easier and more comfortable manipulation of virtual objects and their properties, especially using confocal microscopy, which is the most widely used technique for acquiring volumetric fluorescence data so far.
Background and Objectives: The consequences of stroke have a significant impact on self-sufficiency and health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Virtual reality (VR)-based rehabilitation has the potential to impact these modalities, but information on timing, volume, and intensity is not yet available. The aim of this randomized controlled trial (1:1) was to evaluate the impact of conventional rehabilitation combined with VR on self-care and domains of HRQoL in patients ≤6 months post-stroke. Materials and Methods: The intervention group completed a total of 270 min of conventional VR + rehabilitation sessions. The control group underwent conventional rehabilitation only. Primary assessments with the WHO disability assessment schedule 2.0 (WHODAS 2) questionnaire were conducted before rehabilitation (T0), after completion of the intervention (T1), and at the 4-week follow-up (T2); secondary outcomes included self-sufficiency and balance assessments. Results: Fifty patients completed the study (mean age 61.2 ± 9.0 years, time since stroke 114.3 ± 39.4 days). There were no statistically significant differences between the groups in WHODAS 2, self-sufficiency, and balance scores (p > 0.05). Conclusions: In the experimental group, there was a statistically significant difference in WHODAS 2, assessment of self-sufficiency, and balance scores before and after therapy (p < 0.05). VR appears to be a suitable tool to supplement and modify rehabilitation in patients after stroke.
- Keywords
- activities of daily living, quality of life, stroke, virtual reality,
- MeSH
- Stroke * complications therapy MeSH
- Quality of Life MeSH
- Middle Aged MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Patients MeSH
- Self Care MeSH
- Dietary Supplements MeSH
- Aged MeSH
- Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy * MeSH
- Check Tag
- Middle Aged MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Aged MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Randomized Controlled Trial MeSH
OBJECTIVE: Resection of the vestibular schwannoma causes acute peripheral vestibular loss. The process of central compensation starts immediately afterward. The rehabilitation goal is to support this process and restore the quality of life. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this prospective single-center study, 67 consecutive patients underwent vestibular schwannoma resection (40 females, mean age 52 ± 12 years). The patients were divided into three groups: the prehabilitation with intratympanic gentamicin group, the virtual reality group (optokinetic stimulation via virtual reality goggles in the first ten days after the surgery), and the control group. All patients were examined with objective methods and completed questionnaires before the prehabilitation, before the surgery, at the hospital discharge, and after three months. RESULTS: Intratympanic gentamicin prehabilitation leads ipsilaterally to a significant aVOR reduction in all semicircular canals (p < 0.050), the increase of the unilateral weakness in air calorics (p = 0.026), and loss of cVEMPs responses (p = 0.017). Prehabilitation and postoperative exposure to virtual reality scenes improved the patient's perception of vertigo problems according to Dizziness Handicap Inventory (p = 0.039 and p = 0.076, respectively). These findings conform with the optokinetic testing results, which showed higher slow phase velocities at higher speeds (40 deg/s) in both targeted groups compared to the control group. CONCLUSION: Preoperative intratympanic gentamicin positively affects peripheral vestibular function, influencing balance perception after VS resection. In long-term follow-up, prehabilitation and postoperative exposure to virtual reality improve patients' quality of life in the field of vertigo problems.
- Keywords
- Intratympanic gentamicin, Optokinetic tests, Prehabilitation, Vestibular schwannoma, Video head impulse test, Virtual reality,
- MeSH
- Anti-Bacterial Agents * administration & dosage MeSH
- Adult MeSH
- Gentamicins * administration & dosage MeSH
- Injection, Intratympanic MeSH
- Quality of Life MeSH
- Middle Aged MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Preoperative Care * methods MeSH
- Prospective Studies MeSH
- Aged MeSH
- Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy * methods MeSH
- Neuroma, Acoustic * surgery rehabilitation MeSH
- Virtual Reality * MeSH
- Treatment Outcome MeSH
- Check Tag
- Adult MeSH
- Middle Aged MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Male MeSH
- Aged MeSH
- Female MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Comparative Study MeSH
- Names of Substances
- Anti-Bacterial Agents * MeSH
- Gentamicins * MeSH
Protein structure determines biological function. Accurately conceptualizing 3D protein/ligand structures is thus vital to scientific research and education. Virtual reality (VR) enables protein visualization in stereoscopic 3D, but many VR molecular-visualization programs are expensive and challenging to use; work only on specific VR headsets; rely on complicated model-preparation software; and/or require the user to install separate programs or plugins. Here we introduce ProteinVR, a web-based application that works on various VR setups and operating systems. ProteinVR displays molecular structures within 3D environments that give useful biological context and allow users to situate themselves in 3D space. Our web-based implementation is ideal for hypothesis generation and education in research and large-classroom settings. We release ProteinVR under the open-source BSD-3-Clause license. A copy of the program is available free of charge from http://durrantlab.com/protein-vr/, and a working version can be accessed at http://durrantlab.com/pvr/.
- MeSH
- Internet * MeSH
- Protein Conformation MeSH
- Proteins * chemistry ultrastructure MeSH
- Virtual Reality * MeSH
- Computational Biology methods MeSH
- Imaging, Three-Dimensional methods MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
- Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural MeSH
- Names of Substances
- Proteins * MeSH
