Virtual reality and functional recovery

Abstract

While there are numerous traditional, non-three-dimensional software, proposed for the rehabilitation purpose, the number of software, based on virtual reality, used to aid the functional recovery of motor and cognitive skills, are drastically low in number even though, in recent years, their use is progressively expanding in all sectors, especially in the one of the health-motor. The benefits of these new technologies compared to traditional techniques alone in motor recovery following neurological traumas have been investigated. VR interventions provide enriched opportunities for integrating goal-oriented tasks and make repeated movements. The use of the headset is necessary to provide a more visually immersive environment (Weber, 2019). The results of functional recovery via immersive VR, have been shown to improve upper limb functions and self-care skills (Abant, 2019). The most interesting thing that emerged from these studies is a better involvement of those who carry out VR activities due to the full immersion of HMDs. It would be interesting in the future to carry out studies concerning motor activity in a VR environment in places with environmental limitations such as penitentiary facilities and retirement homes, also given the simplicity of learning that has emerged from the studies carried out.