Affiliations: Assistive Technology Research Center, Rehabilitation Engineering Service, National Rehabilitation Hospital, Washington DC, USA
Correspondence:
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Assistive Technology Research Center, National Rehabilitation Hospital, 102 Irving Street NW, Washington, DC 20010-2949, USA. Tel.: +1 202 877 1487; Fax: +1 202 723 0628; E-mail: [email protected]
Abstract: Features of “virtual reality” (VR) systems and their value for the investigation and rehabilitation of cognitive and perceptual impairments are briefly described. Current and potential applications of VR technology to address six neurorehabilitation issues are discussed: (1) attention and the reduction of distraction, (2) assessment and remediation of executive function deficits, (3) investigation of impairments of coordinated movement, (4) study and rehabilitation of aphasia and other severe disorders of language, (5) task presentation for functional imaging studies of the brain, and (6) the measurement of mental load in the operation of assistive technology. Finally, a virtual reality system integrated with gaze angle sensing technology is described, and its potential for investigation and rehabilitation of face processing by individuals with autism is discussed.
