Recent research has shown the potential of Virtual Reality (VR) in the field of rehabilitation, namely neurocognitive rehabilitation. This technology will certainly revolutionize the rehabilitation of the future. Its advantages include greater ecological validity than conventional rehabilitation methods, provision of safe contexts for learning/training, the possibility of programs to be contingent on patient performance, with increasing levels of task difficulty and provision of immediate feedback, and the use of a “game factor” that promotes motivation for participation. These are important aspects in the rehabilitation of patients with acquired brain injury. Patients with this and other types of neurological injuries endure cognitive deficits that cause difficulties in independent functioning and daily-life activities. Their rehabilitation calls for systematic intervention programs that are theoretically grounded and use innovative approaches to their advantage. In this paper we present a review about the advantages of VR in the generalization of acquired skills to real-life contexts, to promote patients' functionality and quality of life, and propose an innovative program of neurocognitive rehabilitation. Research in the field shows positive effects of VR programs, but urges progress in terms of the development of techniques (e.g., facial synthesis and of more research on the impact of these interventions. Future studies should also explore the existence of neuro-anatomical correlates of behavioral changes, contributing to the investigation of the relationship between neural plasticity and behavior and providing evidence for clinical practice.

Background: Dementia is the one of the most common and prominent disease in the elderly person that results in the Cognitive interventions. In this study, we aim to conceptualize the cognitive intervention for older adults with and without cognitive dysfunction and to clarify the heterogeneity existing in this literature field by determining the main variables implicated.Methods: We conducted a study analysis using previous literature highlighting the significant data reporting empirical results from cognitive intervention for healthy older adults and other seniors with different types of dementia. Each paper was reviewed in terms of compensatory cognitive training, cognitive remediation, enrichment, cognitive activation, brain training, cognitive stimulation, cognitive training, and cognitive rehabilitation. The research analysis was performed following rigorous inclusion and exclusion criteria with the purpose of collecting relevant answers to our research questions.Results: We included a total of 168 studies in our review. Our findings indicated heterogeneity regarding methods, concepts, and procedures. Additionally, the values were integrated using different information existing in this field.Conclusion: In conclusion, we highlighted that this is the first review that clarify the discrepancy of various existing definitions, methods, and procedures, as well as the overlapping information in the cognitive interventions.

Recent research has shown the potential of Virtual Reality (VR) in the field of rehabilitation, namely neurocognitive rehabilitation. This technology will certainly revolutionize the rehabilitation of the future. Its advantages include greater ecological validity than conventional rehabilitation methods, provision of safe contexts for learning/training, the possibility of programs to be contingent on patient performance, with increasing levels of task difficulty and provision of immediate feedback, and the use of a “game factor” that promotes motivation for participation. These are important aspects in the rehabilitation of patients with acquired brain injury. Patients with this and other types of neurological injuries endure cognitive deficits that cause difficulties in independent functioning and daily-life activities. Their rehabilitation calls for systematic intervention programs that are theoretically grounded and use innovative approaches to their advantage. In this paper we present a review about the advantages of VR in the generalization of acquired skills to real-life contexts, to promote patients' functionality and quality of life, and propose an innovative program of neurocognitive rehabilitation. Research in the field shows positive effects of VR programs, but urges progress in terms of the development of techniques (e.g., facial synthesis and of more research on the impact of these interventions. Future studies should also explore the existence of neuro-anatomical correlates of behavioral changes, contributing to the investigation of the relationship between neural plasticity and behavior and providing evidence for clinical practice.

O presente artigo tem como objectivo sintetizar estudos sobre, incidência, causas e consequências de acidentes rodoviários; aplicabilidade da realidade virtual na reabilitação neurocognitiva de sinistrados; e potencialidades do Second Life para desenvolvimento de autonomia do indivíduo. Foi realizada uma revisão sistemática da literatura, através da pesquisa manual dos artigos e livros mais citados de outros autores, incluindo estudos de revisão teórica. Critérios de inclusão: dados estatísticos online sobre sinistralidade rodoviária, estudos sobre utilização de ambientes virtuais na reabilitação e avaliação neurocognitiva independentemente da amostra ou défices cognitivos e psicológicos. Foi feita uma revisão sobre os estudos mais citados, para analisar a nomenclatura, indicações e quais os objectivos dos mesmos. Foram identificados 85 estudos de interesse, de entre os quais, evidenciam uma ampla heterogeneidade nos critérios de selecção dos ambientes virtuais, objectivos de estudo, tipos de amostra e tendência para a criação de novos jogos sérios para a avaliação e reabilitação neuropsicológicas de funções cognitivas.

The Interdisciplinary Method of Musical Literacy, Education and Artistic Awareness (MILMESA) is developed and applied essentially in higher education (artistic, cultural and teacher training courses), promoting effective endogenous (interarts) and exogenous interconnection (artistic and other non-artistic areas) of an inter and pluridisciplinary matrix, as well as assuming itself as a privileged vehicle of relationship and extension to the community in the frame of the making of artistic-cultural and pedagogical-didactic events in the European, Luso-Brazilian, Luso-African and Hispanic American territories. It was created, tested and evaluated in five consecutive quadrennia (2002–2023), being regularly adapted, adapted and added to according to the observed realities, evolving into the deepening of new concepts and models of intervention in these domains (e.g., Expressive and Proximal Didactics). Using the ethnographic method and the case study, and having the source of data collection as the document analysis of written and iconographic or visual sources (n = 1386) and participant observation, this study aimed to describe and analyse the application and evolution of MILMESA in terms of education and extension to the community. It was concluded that there was a need to promote, with greater regularity and scope, greater technological interaction via digital platforms and social networks, within the framework of the participation of external specialists (e-DEP) and the very experience of MILMESA’s experiences and initiatives, giving it a more meaningful and participatory range.

This study aims to identify neuropsychological assessment measures that can better guide the selection and difficulty level adjustment of neuropsychological rehabilitation tasks for patients with acquired brain injury. Eight patients with acquired brain injury were recruited from one rehabilitation institution. The neuropsychological protocol included standard neuropsychological tests targeting attention, memory, and executive functions. After the assessment, the patients enrolled in an intensive online cognitive neuropsychological rehabilitation training program (80 sessions of 49 cognitive training and 31 affective and psychosocial intervention sessions). The association between the assessment results and the training outcomes was measured to explore which measures were better associated with specific training outcomes. This study suggests that the results of specific conventionally administered neuropsychological tests can be good indicators of the patients’ performance in the cognitive training of attention and working memory. On the other hand, none of the tests provided valuable data regarding the patients’ ability to perform the executive functioning training tasks, perhaps because those appeal to everyday situations, which are not adequately represented in the administered tests. More research is needed, especially regarding the executive function.

Acquired brain injury (ABI) is associated with severe functional consequences at several levels: personal, psychological, social, physical, economic, and systemic. The main objective of the present study is to show the potential of applying virtual reality (VR) in neuropsychological rehabilitation and the consequent psychological and cognitive improvement of the person with ABI. A total of 27 participants of both sexes with moderate or severe ABI participated in an investigation in a clinical trial-type design with pre-test and post-test. Participants in the experimental group (n = 8) underwent a remote holistic neuropsychological intervention program supported by a VR platform: the Virtual Centre for the Rehabilitation of Road Accident Victims (VICERAVI). The experimental group results were compared with a first control group (n = 10) that underwent a conventional holistic neuropsychological intervention face-to-face program; and with a second control group that did not have any neuropsychological intervention (n = 9). We conclude that the VR-based neuropsychological rehabilitation program (NRP) at a distance produces better cognitive results in general cognitive functioning, learning, memory, and executive functioning than the conventional face-to-face NRP. Still, at the psychosocial level, the conventional NRP obtained results similar to those of the VR-based NRP, which did not produce significant improvements. Thus, the study results suggest that the development of VR-based holistic NRPs may benefit the autonomy of people with ABI.

Transgender individuals face discrimination and exclusion in various areas of society, including sports. Notably, intercollegiate athletics suffer criticism for their lack of inclusivity towards transgender athletes. Despite the increasing visibility of transgender individuals and ongoing efforts towards greater inclusivity, there is a significant lack of research on their social integration within college sports. This scoping review aimed to explore the then-current state of research on the social integration of transgender individuals in intercollegiate athletics, identify gaps in the literature, and suggest areas for further investigation. The study examined articles published between 2013 and 2023, using databases such as PubMed, ERIC, and EBSCO Essentials, as well as relevant citations from selected articles. The inclusion criteria for articles were their focus on the social integration of transgender individuals in sports events, publication in English, and relevance to the research question. A standardized technique based on the PRISMA flow diagram 2020 was used to locate, assess, and extract information from eligible research. The results of the study are expected to inform policy and strategy in transgender participation in college sports and promote greater inclusivity for transgender individuals in sports institutions and groups.