VR: A Unique Approach to Training and Rehabilitating the Brain
We might think about VR initially in terms of a fun, novel gaming experience, but the potential of this emerging technology is so much greater than pure recreational enjoyment. Increasingly, VR is being seen as a transformative tool with a whole host of potential applications when it comes to our health.
Today, we’re diving headfirst into what we know so far about how virtual reality can improve our brain health, cognitive abilities, and aid recovery from a range of complex neurological conditions.
VR and Advanced Cognition
Virtual reality is being touted as having excellent potential in the fields of general cognitive training, education, and rehabilitation. So, let’s look deeper into each of these elements and the science behind them:
1. Cognitive training
VR cognitive training systems have been created that can target a wealth of brain-boosting skills, including executive function, memory, attention, and problem-solving. Virtual reality programs have shown great promise in studies, showing notable improvements in older adults with mild cognitive impairment, dementia, and Alzheimer’s disease.
2. Educational simulation
Immersive virtual reality also offers enhanced learning experiences in an educational sense: think being in the center of a historical event, setting things up in a virtual science lab, practicing language skills in a real-life context, and so much more.
These types of interactive environments can promote a far greater retention of knowledge and allow students of all ages to deepen their understanding across a variety of topics in a much more engaging way than ever before.
3. Rehabilitation
VR can also be incredibly helpful in providing tailored rehabilitation programs for a plethora of neurological injuries and neurogenerative diseases, such as multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s, as well as strokes, spinal cord injuries, or SCI, and traumatic brain injuries, or TBI.
Several virtual reality situations have been specifically designed to target and improve abilities such as spatial awareness and motor function, for example. Such systems help to work alongside the brain’s natural neuroplastic qualities, addressing neurological issues in a real-time, and allowing for personalized feedback that can transform treatment outcomes.
The future of VR and brain health?
As VR technology continues to advance, even more opportunities for enhancing cognitive skills and treating a wide range of neurological conditions are expected to arise. The evolution of artificial intelligence alongside also holds tremendous potential to offer even more sophisticated combined interventions that improve the quality of life for people across the globe. Stay tuned for the next installment in this series, where we’ll be looking into the exciting future of virtual reality therapy for our mental health.