Virtual Rehabilitation: Virtual Reality and interactive gaming technologies in neurorehabilitation

Virtual reality (VR) and interactive video gaming have emerged as new strategies of motor and cognitive interventions applied to assessment, rehabilitation, and training across a wide range of age groups and conditions (Chenet al 2016, de Bruin et al 2010, Dockx et al 2016, Hatemet al 2016, Massetti et al 2016, Ravi et al 2016, Schoene et al2013, Yeşilyaprak et al 2016, Schoene et al 2013, de Bruinet al 2010). This chapter aims to provide an overview of existing technologies that can be used within neurorehabilitation. There has been a rapid increase in research since the late 2000s on the use of VR and low-cost interactive gaming technologies in the rehabilitation setting from companies such as Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony. This new generation of video games was developed to promote physical activity using technologies that track the player’s body movements through infrared cameras, accelerometers, gyroscopes and/or pressure sensors to interact with a video game task. Before the release of these physically interactive systems, video games were often viewed negatively by health professionals and parents alike because of these dentary nature of gameplay. Exercise through videogames, also known as exergaming, has been used to promote health and increase physical activity and function in people of all ages (Barry et al 2014, Gioftsidou et al 2013,Sween et al 2014). The use of VR and interactive videogames with clinical populations, also known as virtual rehabilitation, has gained momentum, and these technologies have demonstrated potential to improve and augment current rehabilitation practices; however, more research is required to explore and build supporting evidence (Barryet al 2014, Bonnechère et al 2016, Cheok et al 2015, Crosbieet al 2007, Laver et al 2015, Li et al 2016, Molina et al 2014,Moreira et al 2013, Saposnik & Levin 2011, Skjæret et al2016).For the