Simulating the homes of stroke patients: can virtual environments help to promote engagement in therapy activities?

An exploratory study examines the use of VR in promoting patients´ task engagement in post-stroke therapy activities. To this end, subjects´ home kitchens were simulated, including objects that the subjects had identified as representing ´meaningful´ activities (e.g. a hobby). The subjects were then asked to perform simple navigation and recall tasks in the VR environment. Their levels of engagement in these tasks were measured through a combination of qualitative (questionnaire and interview) and quantitative (GSR) methods. The findings suggest that VR simulations might help promote engagement.