The acceptance of virtual reality devices for cognitive rehabilitation: a report of positive results with schizophrenia.
This study presents a process of virtual environment development supported by a cognitive model that is specific to cognitive deficits of diverse disorders or traumatic brain injury, and evaluates the acceptance of computer devices by a group of schizophrenic patients. The subjects that participated in this experiment accepted to work with computers and immersive glasses and demonstrated a high level of interest in the proposed tasks. No problems of illness have been observed. This experiment indicated that further research projects must be carried out to verify the value of virtual reality technology for cognitive rehabilitation of psychiatric patients. The results of the current study represent a small but necessary step in the realization of that potential.
Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, IME-Dept de Informática e Ciência da Computação, Rua São Francisco Xavier 524-6th andar-Bl. B, CEP 20550-013 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil. rcosta@ime.uerj.br
Rosa Maria Esteves Moreira
RM
da Costa
Luís Alfredo Vidal
LA
de Carvalho
D003071:Cognition; D003201:Computers; D004867:Equipment Design; D005139:Eyeglasses; D006801:Humans; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D014584:User-Computer Interface