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Updated: Oct 10, 2025

Virtual Reality Tools for Assessing Unilateral Spatial Neglect: A Novel Opportunity for Data Collection
Published on: March 10, 2021
The structure of the superior and inferior parietal lobes predicts inter-individual suitability for virtual reality
Chihiro Hosoda1,2, Kyosuke Futami3, Kenchi Hosokawa4,5
1Department of Life Science Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 3-8-1 Komaba, meguroku, Tokyo, 153-8902, Japan. chihirohosoda@g.ecc.u-tokyo.ac.jp.
Abstract:
The global virtual reality (VR) market is significantly expanding and being challenged with an increased demand owing to COVID-19. Unfortunately, VR is not useful for everyone due to large interindividual variability existing in VR suitability. To understand the neurobiological basis of this variability, we obtained neural structural and functional data from the participants using 3T magnetic resonance imaging. The participants completed one of two tasks (sports training or cognitive task) using VR, which differed in the time scale (months/minutes) and domain (motor learning/attention task). Behavioral results showed that some participants improved their motor skills in the real world after 1-month training in the virtual space or obtained high scores in the 3D attention task (high suitability for VR), whereas others did not (low suitability for VR). Brain structure analysis revealed that the structural properties of the superior and inferior parietal lobes contain information that can predict an individual's suitability for VR.
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