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"Enhancing cognitive and social functioning in acquired brain Injury: The role of virtual reality and computerized
Raquel Vasconcelos1, Mónica Nóbrega2, Sergi Bermúdez I Badia3,4,5
1Departmento de Psicologia, Faculdade de Artes e Humanidades, Universidade da Madeira, Funchal, Portugal.
Introduction:
Cognitive deficits in acquired brain injury patients, particularly in domains like attention, memory, executive function, and social cognition, affect patients' quality of life. While rehabilitation strategies often focus on conventional methods, emerging technologies like Virtual Reality and computerized cognitive training offer new approaches. This study explores the efficacy of a tablet-based cognitive training program and the use of Virtual Reality for social cognition assessment .
Methods:
A single-blind, randomized controlled study was conducted with 12 acquired brain injury patients. Participants were divided into experimental (N = 6) and control (N = 6) groups. The experimental group received 12 sessions of cognitive training using Task Generator 2.0, while the control group received time-matched treatment-as-usual. Neuropsychological assessments, including CogMap-SC for social cognition, were performed before and after the intervention.
Results:
The experimental group showed significant improvements across cognitive domains (memory, attention, executive function and social cognition) compared to the control group. The reliable change index indicated significant individual improvements in the experimental group, particularly in social cognition and overall quality of life.
Conclusion:
This study shows promising evidence that Virtual Reality and computerized cognitive training can benefit these patients. However, limitations, such as sample size, call for further investigation to consolidate these findings.
