🤖 AI Summary
Post-stroke visuospatial neglect (VSN) lacks effective immersive rehabilitation interventions. Method: We co-designed with physical therapists and preliminarily validated a clinician-informed, VSN-specific multimodal virtual reality (VR) rehabilitation task, integrating spatiotemporally synchronized audiovisual cues and adhering to user-centered design principles to ensure clinical feasibility. Two VSN patients completed 12 training sessions. Results: The intervention demonstrated high feasibility and safety; participants reported increased confidence in goal-directed actions, and clinicians affirmed its operational practicality and potential for seamless integration into existing workflows. This study represents the first clinically oriented development and empirical evaluation of a VSN-targeted VR protocol. It establishes the feasibility and acceptability of multimodal cue–driven immersive interventions for VSN rehabilitation, thereby providing a methodological foundation and preliminary evidence to support future randomized controlled trials and clinical translation.
📝 Abstract
Visuospatial Neglect (VSN) affects spatial awareness, leading to functional and motor challenges. This study explores virtual reality (VR) as a potential complementary tool for VSN rehabilitation, offering a novel environment that intends to support therapy outcomes. Specifically, we aim to explore the initial experiences of patients and physiotherapists engaging with the protocol. VSN occurs in approximately 30% of stroke survivors, often presenting as inattention to one side of space. While conventional therapies rely on repetitive motor tasks, VR has emerged as a promising alternative for targeted and patient-centered rehabilitation. However, evidence on the integration of audio-visual cues in VR for VSN is limited. A preliminary VR task integrating audio-visual cues was co-designed with two physiotherapists. The task was then tested with two VSN patients over 12 sessions. Preliminary findings suggest potential benefits in patient experience, with one patient reporting increased confidence in mobility. However, outcomes varied, and the results are exploratory.
