Date of Award
Spring 2020
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts
Department
Psychology; College of Arts & Sciences
First Advisor
Marianne Miserandino
Abstract
The Effects of Virtual Reality in the Treatment of Stroke Patients
Stroke patients face many challenges on their road to recovery. Patients may lose motor function, speech abilities, and other important cognitive functions. They go through various forms of therapy to help rehabilitate them and improve their cognition, including physical, occupational, and speech therapy. Physical therapy helps improve motor function and muscle control, occupational therapy improves those skills needed for success in work and life, and speech therapy helps patients recover the ability to speak and the cognitive processes to think and form words and sentences. While these therapies are comprehensive, virtual reality (VR) offers a new form of therapy to aid in the recovery of cognition that was lost due the stroke. Multiple studies show that after integrating VR therapy into existing therapy routines patients have better recall, improved motor function, and better cognitive function overall. By integrating VR therapy into the therapy routines that already exist, stroke patients can expect to see quicker recovery times and greater cognitive recovery. This leads to greater independence and a quicker return to normalcy then the typical course of therapy given to stroke patients. Therapists in the three areas mentioned above should work to integrate VR into patient therapy to give patients improved outcomes in cognition and motor function.
Recommended Citation
Schoettle, Melissa, "The Effects of Virtual Reality in the Treatment of Stroke Patients" (2020). Capstone Showcase. 6.
https://scholarworks.arcadia.edu/showcase/2020/psychology/6
Included in
Cognition and Perception Commons, Cognitive Psychology Commons, Occupational Therapy Commons, Physical Therapy Commons
The Effects of Virtual Reality in the Treatment of Stroke Patients
The Effects of Virtual Reality in the Treatment of Stroke Patients
Stroke patients face many challenges on their road to recovery. Patients may lose motor function, speech abilities, and other important cognitive functions. They go through various forms of therapy to help rehabilitate them and improve their cognition, including physical, occupational, and speech therapy. Physical therapy helps improve motor function and muscle control, occupational therapy improves those skills needed for success in work and life, and speech therapy helps patients recover the ability to speak and the cognitive processes to think and form words and sentences. While these therapies are comprehensive, virtual reality (VR) offers a new form of therapy to aid in the recovery of cognition that was lost due the stroke. Multiple studies show that after integrating VR therapy into existing therapy routines patients have better recall, improved motor function, and better cognitive function overall. By integrating VR therapy into the therapy routines that already exist, stroke patients can expect to see quicker recovery times and greater cognitive recovery. This leads to greater independence and a quicker return to normalcy then the typical course of therapy given to stroke patients. Therapists in the three areas mentioned above should work to integrate VR into patient therapy to give patients improved outcomes in cognition and motor function.