Effects of Virtual Reality-Based Cognitive Rehabilitation in Stroke Patients: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Area of Science:

• Neurorehabilitation
• Health Psychology
• Virtual Reality Applications

Background:

• Stroke recovery necessitates restoring cognitive function through targeted rehabilitation.
• Patient self-efficacy is crucial for successful disease management and rehabilitation outcomes.
• Existing cognitive rehabilitation methods include conventional and computer-assisted approaches.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a virtual reality-based cognitive rehabilitation program grounded in self-efficacy theory.
• To compare the efficacy of this VR program against conventional and computer-assisted methods.
• To assess the impact on stroke self-efficacy, cognitive function, and quality of life.

Main Methods:

• A virtual reality (VR) cognitive rehabilitation program was implemented over eight weeks (30-minute sessions, five days/week).
• Participants were divided into three groups: VR-based, conventional, and computer-assisted cognitive rehabilitation.
• Outcomes measured included stroke self-efficacy, cognitive function, visual perception, activities of daily living (ADL), and health-related quality of life (HRQoL).

Main Results:

• Significant group-by-time interactions indicated improvements in stroke self-efficacy, cognitive function, visual perception, ADL, and HRQoL with the VR program.
• The VR group demonstrated significant differences compared to other groups in stroke self-efficacy and HRQoL.
• The VR-based program showed superior effectiveness in enhancing multiple recovery metrics.

Conclusions:

• The developed VR cognitive rehabilitation program, based on self-efficacy theory, is effective for stroke inpatients.
• The program significantly improves stroke self-efficacy, cognitive function, visual perception, ADL, and HRQoL.
• VR offers a promising therapeutic modality for enhancing post-stroke recovery and patient well-being.