Differing effects of an immersive virtual reality programme on unilateral spatial neglect on activities of daily living

In clinical practice, therapists often encounter cases of unilateral spatial neglect (USN) observed in far and near space. In this case report, immersive virtual reality (VR) technology was adopted as a therapy tool in a patient with stroke with severe near and far space neglect. Neuropsychological tests in near and far space as well as the Catherine Bergego Scale (CBS), as an index of neglect in daily living, were measured preintervention and postintervention. Improvement of neuropsychological tests, particularly in far space, was clearly demonstrated postintervention. However, CBS score did not change postintervention. This may be because the patient unsuccessfully translated these visual search task skills used in far space to activities of daily living. Our findings suggest the potential use of immersive VR technology in patients with USN and highlight the VR programme's limited ability to fully recover a patient's disability in natural settings.

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