Safety and Potential Usability of Immersive Virtual Reality for Brain Rehabilitation: A Pilot Study

This study was conducted to demonstrate the safety and usability of an immersive virtual reality (VR) game as a rehabilitative training by assessing adverse events (AEs), adherence, and satisfaction in patients with brain injury who had free optional opportunities. The results were analyzed retrospectively. Seventy-eight patients with brain injury, undergoing rehabilitation treatment for motor impairment, were recruited. Among them, 51 were available for postintervention survey. The immersive type of VR training was programmed to facilitate use of the paralyzed upper extremity through a fishing simulation game. The Oculus Rift was used as head-mounted display device. Patients were observed for any AEs as defined in the Common Terminology Criteria for AEs during and after each VR training session. A postintervention telephone survey was done to investigate adherence-related factors and safety. The results were analyzed after dividing the patients into nonadherence (patients participated <3 times) and high-adherence (≥3 times) groups. No serious AEs were reported during and after the VR training, and several patients reported other AEs, predominantly dizziness, with one case requiring cessation of VR training. Overall, the satisfaction rate was 54%. Compared with the nonadherence group, the high-adherence group expressed higher satisfaction with VR training, regarded it as effective for recovery from upper limb paralysis, accepted VR as comprehensible, and considered the level of difficulty to be appropriate (P < 0.05). Immersive VR training appeared to be safe for patients with brain injury.