Rewiring Attention: Virtual Reality and Brain-Computer Interfaces in the Rehabilitation of Unilateral Spatial Neglect

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Cognitive Science

Background:

• Unilateral spatial neglect (USN) is a common post-stroke cognitive deficit impacting functional independence.
• Current USN rehabilitation methods lack ecological validity, engagement, and personalization.
• Heterogeneous USN symptoms pose significant challenges for conventional therapies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review recent advancements in VR and BCI technologies for USN rehabilitation.
• To explore the potential of VR and BCI, individually and combined, in addressing USN.
• To highlight a novel VR-BCI framework for personalized USN treatment.

Main Methods:

• Narrative review of VR and BCI applications in USN rehabilitation.
• Analysis of existing literature on neurotechnologies for cognitive recovery.
• Presentation of a conceptual VR-BCI integrated rehabilitation framework.

Main Results:

• VR interventions show growing evidence of efficacy in alleviating USN symptoms.
• BCI applications for USN are still emerging but hold potential.
• Combined VR-BCI approaches are promising for advanced cognitive rehabilitation.

Conclusions:

• VR and BCI technologies offer innovative solutions for USN rehabilitation.
• Integrated VR-BCI systems can provide adaptive, personalized, and effective therapeutic strategies.
• Future research should focus on developing and validating combined VR-BCI interventions for USN.