Virtual reality in neurologic rehabilitation of spatial disorientation
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Topographical disorientation (TD) is a severe and persistent impairment of spatial orientation and navigation in familiar as well as new environments and a common consequence of brain damage. Virtual reality (VR) provides a new tool...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
BMC
2013-02-01
|
| Series: | Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.jneuroengrehab.com/content/10/1/17 |
| _version_ | 1818040418396274688 |
|---|---|
| author | Kober Silvia Wood Guilherme Hofer Daniela Kreuzig Walter Kiefer Manfred Neuper Christa |
| author_facet | Kober Silvia Wood Guilherme Hofer Daniela Kreuzig Walter Kiefer Manfred Neuper Christa |
| author_sort | Kober Silvia |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Topographical disorientation (TD) is a severe and persistent impairment of spatial orientation and navigation in familiar as well as new environments and a common consequence of brain damage. Virtual reality (VR) provides a new tool for the assessment and rehabilitation of TD. In VR training programs different degrees of active motor control over navigation may be implemented (i.e. more passive spatial navigation vs. more active). Increasing demands of active motor control may overload those visuo-spatial resources necessary for learning spatial orientation and navigation. In the present study we used a VR-based verbally-guided passive navigation training program to improve general spatial abilities in neurologic patients with spatial disorientation.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Eleven neurologic patients with focal brain lesions, which showed deficits in spatial orientation, as well as 11 neurologic healthy controls performed a route finding training in a virtual environment. Participants learned and recalled different routes for navigation in a virtual city over five training sessions. Before and after VR training, general spatial abilities were assessed with standardized neuropsychological tests.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Route finding ability in the VR task increased over the five training sessions. Moreover, both groups improved different aspects of spatial abilities after VR training in comparison to the spatial performance before VR training.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Verbally-guided passive navigation training in VR enhances general spatial cognition in neurologic patients with spatial disorientation as well as in healthy controls and can therefore be useful in the rehabilitation of spatial deficits associated with TD.</p> |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-10T08:14:13Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f998686a70074c3a98b7eb80a1e5f933 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1743-0003 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-10T08:14:13Z |
| publishDate | 2013-02-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation |
| spelling | doaj.art-f998686a70074c3a98b7eb80a1e5f9332022-12-22T01:56:31ZengBMCJournal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation1743-00032013-02-011011710.1186/1743-0003-10-17Virtual reality in neurologic rehabilitation of spatial disorientationKober SilviaWood GuilhermeHofer DanielaKreuzig WalterKiefer ManfredNeuper Christa<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Topographical disorientation (TD) is a severe and persistent impairment of spatial orientation and navigation in familiar as well as new environments and a common consequence of brain damage. Virtual reality (VR) provides a new tool for the assessment and rehabilitation of TD. In VR training programs different degrees of active motor control over navigation may be implemented (i.e. more passive spatial navigation vs. more active). Increasing demands of active motor control may overload those visuo-spatial resources necessary for learning spatial orientation and navigation. In the present study we used a VR-based verbally-guided passive navigation training program to improve general spatial abilities in neurologic patients with spatial disorientation.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Eleven neurologic patients with focal brain lesions, which showed deficits in spatial orientation, as well as 11 neurologic healthy controls performed a route finding training in a virtual environment. Participants learned and recalled different routes for navigation in a virtual city over five training sessions. Before and after VR training, general spatial abilities were assessed with standardized neuropsychological tests.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Route finding ability in the VR task increased over the five training sessions. Moreover, both groups improved different aspects of spatial abilities after VR training in comparison to the spatial performance before VR training.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Verbally-guided passive navigation training in VR enhances general spatial cognition in neurologic patients with spatial disorientation as well as in healthy controls and can therefore be useful in the rehabilitation of spatial deficits associated with TD.</p>http://www.jneuroengrehab.com/content/10/1/17Topographical disorientationBrain damageWay-finding trainingVirtual rehabilitationVisuo-spatial memoryVisual navigation |
| spellingShingle | Kober Silvia Wood Guilherme Hofer Daniela Kreuzig Walter Kiefer Manfred Neuper Christa Virtual reality in neurologic rehabilitation of spatial disorientation Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation Topographical disorientation Brain damage Way-finding training Virtual rehabilitation Visuo-spatial memory Visual navigation |
| title | Virtual reality in neurologic rehabilitation of spatial disorientation |
| title_full | Virtual reality in neurologic rehabilitation of spatial disorientation |
| title_fullStr | Virtual reality in neurologic rehabilitation of spatial disorientation |
| title_full_unstemmed | Virtual reality in neurologic rehabilitation of spatial disorientation |
| title_short | Virtual reality in neurologic rehabilitation of spatial disorientation |
| title_sort | virtual reality in neurologic rehabilitation of spatial disorientation |
| topic | Topographical disorientation Brain damage Way-finding training Virtual rehabilitation Visuo-spatial memory Visual navigation |
| url | http://www.jneuroengrehab.com/content/10/1/17 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT kobersilvia virtualrealityinneurologicrehabilitationofspatialdisorientation AT woodguilherme virtualrealityinneurologicrehabilitationofspatialdisorientation AT hoferdaniela virtualrealityinneurologicrehabilitationofspatialdisorientation AT kreuzigwalter virtualrealityinneurologicrehabilitationofspatialdisorientation AT kiefermanfred virtualrealityinneurologicrehabilitationofspatialdisorientation AT neuperchrista virtualrealityinneurologicrehabilitationofspatialdisorientation |