VIRTUAL REALITY EFFICIENCY IN MOTOR AND COGNITIVE REHABILITATION IN PATIENTS AFTER CEREBRAL STROKE: A REVIEW

Abstract

Introduction. Currently, stroke is considered to be one of the main causes of death and disability, highly contributing to
mortality in the world. The critical issue is the rehabilitation process and the subsequent return of the patient to his daily life.
Therefore, finding new approaches to recovery of lost functions is a pressing issue. Thanks to three key elements necessary
for motor functions training (stimulation repetition, sensory feedback, patient motivation) VR provides an opportunity to train
motor skills more effectively and in the same particular context in which they will be executed in real life. Another aspect of
VR training sessions is the recovery of cognitive functions such as perception, memory, attention, speech and thinking.
Aim. To review publications devoted to virtual reality technology and evaluation of the effectiveness of its application
using neuroimaging methods in stroke rehabilitation.
Search strategy. The search was performed in the following scientific databases: Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed,
Cochrane Library, Google Scholar. The search depth was 20 years. Three sources of literature, dated by 1979, 1981 and
1992 year, were used, because they contain important conceptual information.
Criteria for considerations were: reviews, original papers, meta-analyses; full-text open-access publications both in
Russian and English languages. Exclusion criteria included low methodological quality and conference proceedings. 56
papers were included in the present review.
Results. The use of modern methods of neuroimaging and EEG to assess the effectiveness of classes in virtual reality
systems may allow us to build rehabilitation programs to recover the motor and cognitive spheres of patients after a cerebral
stroke.
Conclusions. A combination of technologies with addition of VR-based intervention may affect results of motor-cognitive
recovery and emotional sphere correction at all stages of rehabilitation process and influence further life of patient.