Affiliations: [a] Grandview Children's Centre, Oshawa, Ontario, Canada | [b] Corporate Professional Leader/Clinical Educator, Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada | [c] University of Toronto, Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Correspondence:
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Address for correspondence: Denise Reid, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of Toronto, 160-500 University Ave, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 1V7, Canada. Tel.: +1 416 978 5937; Fax: +1 416 946 8570; E-mail: [email protected].
Abstract: Unilateral neglect is a common deficit following stroke which may impactfunction, safety and visual awareness. Virtual reality (VR) may be a potential new intervention option. Using a single-subject, A1-B-A2 design, four case studies explored the effects of VR on unilateral neglect. During the intervention phase (B), participants completed six, weekly, one-hour sessions of VR tasks. The outcome measures completed during the baseline (A1), treatment (B) and reassessment phase (A2) were the Behavioural Inattention Test, and the Bells test. The data were graphically represented and subsequently visually analyzed. Qualitative comments from the participants are considered along with the results. The quantitative results are inconclusive but suggest that VR may have the potential to be useful for individuals with stroke who are affected by neglect in their everyday life. Further research is warranted to substantiate these results.
