Virtual reality-based rehabilitation for recovery of stroke and neurodegenerative disease patients
Virtual reality-based rehabilitation programs are becoming an important complement to conventional motor therapy for stroke patients and individuals with neurodegenerative diseases. Immersion in virtual environments stimulates several sensory systems, especially sight and hearing, and intensifies central nervous system information input and output.
The technology is expected to increase brain connectivity by stimulating the new neural connections needed to repair the losses caused by injury or by the patient s clinical condition.
Alexandre Brandão, Researcher, University of Campinas s Physics Institute (IFGW-UNICAMP)
Brandão is also affiliated with the Brazilian Research Institute for Neuroscience and Neurotechnology (BRAINN), one of the Research, Innovation and Dissemination Centers (RIDCs) supported by FAPESP.
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IMAGE: fMRI scans of a stroke patient before and after rehabilitation using non-immersive virtual reality software view more
Credit: Raphael Casseb/UNICAMP
By José Tadeu Arantes | Agência FAPESP – Virtual reality-based rehabilitation programs are becoming an important complement to conventional motor therapy for stroke patients and individuals with neurodegenerative diseases. Immersion in virtual environments stimulates several sensory systems, especially sight and hearing, and intensifies central nervous system information input and output.
“The technology is expected to increase brain connectivity by stimulating the new neural connections needed to repair the losses caused by injury or by the patient’s clinical condition,”