Virtual reality technology enhances the cognitive and social communication of children with autism spectrum disorder

Effect of immersive virtual reality-based training on cognitive, social, and emotional skills in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

BACKGROUND

Virtual Reality (VR) based diagnostic and therapeutic interventions have opened up new possibilities for addressing the challenges in identifying and treating individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD).

AIM

To conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials to investigate the impact of Immersive VR techniques on the cognitive, social, and emotional skills of under-18 children and adolescents with ASD.

METHODS AND PROCEDURES

Four databases were systematically searched as per "Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses" guidelines and assessed six RCTs for further analysis. The Cochrane Risk of Bias tool was used to assess the methodological quality of the studies.

OUTCOMES

Pooled results favoured VR and reported significant differences between experimental and control groups concerning social skills (SMD:1.43; 95 % CI: 0.01-2.84; P: 0.05), emotional skills (SMD: 2.45; 95 % CI: 0.21-4.18; P: 0.03) and cognitive skills.

CONCLUSION

VR offers an array of benefits that make it a promising tool for children and adolescents with ASD to improve their cognitive, social and emotional skills in a safe and supportive setting. However, accessibility, affordability, customization, and cost are also significant aspects to consider when developing and implementing VR-based interventions for ASD.

Using Virtual Reality to Reduce Anxiety and Improve Hospital Experience in Paediatric Orthopaedic Patients and Their Parents

The hospital environment can be a stressful environment for paediatric patients and their parents, which is often characterised by heightened levels of pain and anxiety. To address these challenges, many innovative intervention methods has been explored. For example, immersive virtual reality (VR) headsets as a distraction method has become an increasingly popular intervention in recent years. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of VR using 'Rescape DR.VR Junior' in reducing pain, anxiety, and enhancing the overall hospital experience for paediatric orthopaedic patients and their parents. A total of 64 patients aged 4-18 years were included in this study, which utilised a control group (interacting with a play specialist) and a VR intervention group (including pre-operative patients and fracture clinic patients). Anxiety and pain levels were measured using a 10-point Likert scale before and after the intervention, and validated questionnaires were used to assess parental anxiety and overall hospital experience. The results indicated that VR intervention significantly reduced patient and parental anxiety both before surgery and in the fracture clinic setting (p < 0.5). However, no significant reduction in pain scores was observed in either environments. Comparatively, VR intervention was found to be comparable to traditional play methods in terms of reducing anxiety in the pre-operative environment. All patients and parents agreed that the use of VR distraction methods significantly improved their hospital experience. In conclusion, VR is an effective method for reducing child and parental anxiety and enhancing the hospital experience and can be used alone or in conjunction with a play specialist.

Virtual reality rehabilitation program on executive functions of children with specific learning disorders: a pilot study

Background

The application of Virtual Reality (VR) in the field of rehabilitation has been widely studied, because it has already proven to be an effective intervention for a variety of physical and cognitive conditions. Nevertheless, its application in pediatric rehabilitation is more recent. This pilot study aims to examine whether a VR-rehabilitation program may have positive effects on the Executive Functions (EFs) of children with Specific Learning Disorders (SLD).

Materials and methods

Twenty-four children with diagnosis of SLD participated to the study (range 7-11 years) and performed the VR-training across 6 weeks in the CARE Lab, that was designed with appropriate structural measures and ad hoc fittings, to hide the sophisticated technology necessary to allow the child to experience a rehabilitative setting with recreational and semi-immersive features. Children were evaluated across three main time-points: T0, assessment of cognitive level and EFs immediately before the start of the intervention; T1, assessment of EFs immediately after the end of VR intervention; T2, follow-up of EFs after 6 months from the end of the VR intervention. The rehabilitation programs were customized according to clinical needs and/or single patient's characteristics, proposing different games with variable complexity levels.

Results

Results showed that scores for visual attention, inhibition, flexibility, and planning abilities were significantly higher than before the intervention, and the most part of these ameliorations were maintained after 6 months.

Conclusion

These findings provide important inputs for the development of new innovative rehabilitation interventions for children with SLD that must be founded in ecological and evidence-based approaches.

Areas of Research Focus and Trends in the Research on the Application of VR in Rehabilitation Medicine

OBJECTIVE

To establish the areas of research focus in the application of VR in rehabilitation medicine, analyze its themes and trends, and offer a reference for future related research in this field.

METHODS

This paper provides an in-depth analysis of the development process, areas of research focus, and research trends in the field of the application of VR in rehabilitation medicine, using the Web of Science core dataset as the source and using a bibliometric analysis with CiteSpace.

RESULTS

The application of VR in rehabilitation medicine was composed of three stages, and the research topics were reviewed from five perspectives: neurological rehabilitation, psychological treatment, pain distraction, cardiopulmonary rehabilitation, and visual-spatial disorder.

LIMITATIONS

The research data were sourced from the Web of Science core dataset only, and the data-sample size was not comprehensive.

CONCLUSIONS

Overcoming VR-technology-induced vertigo, mental disorders from the overuse of VR, individualized treatments, and integration with traditional therapy are all challenges in the application of VR in rehabilitation medicine that require research. In addition, developing VR products with better experiences, constructing standardized guidelines, and conducting more high-quality clinical studies are all future research topics related to the application of VR in rehabilitation medicine.

The perspective of allergy and immunology specialists on the innovations of metaverse: A survey study

BACKGROUND

New technologies have resulted in dramatic shifts in the field of medicine, and it stands to reason that metaverse will also affect the practice of allergy and immunology. This study aimed to determine the attitudes of allergists and raise awareness about metaverse applications in allergy and immunology.

METHODS

A nationwide survey-based study was conducted in Turkey. First, a 28-item questionnaire was developed and sent to Turkish allergists. After completing the first questionnaire, the participants were asked to watch a 5-min informative video about the metaverse. Lastly, a second survey was conducted to evaluate the changes in the views of the participants.

RESULTS

A total of 148 allergy doctors in Turkey participated in the survey. After watching a video containing updated information about the metaverse, there was a significant increase in the importance that participants attributed to the use of virtual reality and augmented reality applications in the field of immunology and allergy (P < 0.05). Additionally, there was a significant increase in the percentage of participants who thought that Metaverse applications could be integrated into the existing system and said that this possibility excited them (P < 0.05). There was also a significant increase in the percentage of participants who thought this innovative technology could be helpful in patient examination, student and physician education, allergy testing, and patient education (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Our results demonstrate that providing information to professionals working in the field can positively influence physicians' views on the potential of the metaverse, which is a valuable tool in the field of immunology and allergy.