I thought it would be difficult, but this is actually something I can do – experiences with Virtual Reality-based cognitive training in persons with TBI
Introduction Virtual reality (VR) has been suggested as a promising technology for delivering cognitive training to persons with traumatic brain injury (TBI), as it can provide situations resembling everyday activities. Studies have demonstrated that persons with TBI manage utilizing VR in clinical...
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Taylor & Francis Group
2025-12-01
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| Series: | Annals of Medicine |
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| Online Access: | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/07853890.2025.2490218 |
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| author | Truls Johansen Martin Matre Sveinung Tornås Marianne Løvstad Jennie L. Ponsford Alexander Olsen Anne Lund |
| author_facet | Truls Johansen Martin Matre Sveinung Tornås Marianne Løvstad Jennie L. Ponsford Alexander Olsen Anne Lund |
| author_sort | Truls Johansen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Introduction Virtual reality (VR) has been suggested as a promising technology for delivering cognitive training to persons with traumatic brain injury (TBI), as it can provide situations resembling everyday activities. Studies have demonstrated that persons with TBI manage utilizing VR in clinical settings; however, no studies have investigated VR use in home settings. The aim of this study was to explore how persons with TBI experience utilizing VR for rehabilitation at home and how they experience VR as cognitive training.Methods Individual qualitative interviews were conducted with ten persons with TBI, aged 18–65. Participants had experience using VR, as they were recruited from the intervention group in a randomized controlled trial investigating VR in cognitive training. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis.Results Participants highlighted the importance of creating new routines when fitting VR into everyday life. They addressed how being in a virtual world contributes to their motivation for cognitive training. Three themes were developed: ‘Fitting VR-training into everyday life’, ‘Navigating through change’ and ‘Being in two worlds at the same time’.Conclusion This study shows that participants experienced VR as motivating, engaging, and easy to use, regardless of prior experiences with VR. The participants demonstrated how they included VR in everyday life by creating new routines when they performed cognitive training. Therewere few reports of adverse events. However, some experienced that VR had a negative impact on their energy level. Participants described the importance of therapeutic involvement for individual tailoring of the intervention. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-26cf25b41f6947b495735efc19dd3f0d |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 0785-3890 1365-2060 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-12-01 |
| publisher | Taylor & Francis Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Annals of Medicine |
| spelling | doaj-art-26cf25b41f6947b495735efc19dd3f0d2025-08-20T03:03:28ZengTaylor & Francis GroupAnnals of Medicine0785-38901365-20602025-12-0157110.1080/07853890.2025.2490218I thought it would be difficult, but this is actually something I can do – experiences with Virtual Reality-based cognitive training in persons with TBITruls Johansen0Martin Matre1Sveinung Tornås2Marianne Løvstad3Jennie L. Ponsford4Alexander Olsen5Anne Lund6Department of Research, Sunnaas Rehabilitation Hospital, Nesodden, NorwayDepartment of Research, Sunnaas Rehabilitation Hospital, Nesodden, NorwayThe Norwegian Directorate of Health, Oslo, NorwayDepartment of Research, Sunnaas Rehabilitation Hospital, Nesodden, NorwayMonash Epworth Rehabilitation Research Centre, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University and Epworth Healthcare, Melbourne, AustraliaDepartment of Psychology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, NorwayDepartment of Occupational Therapy, Institute of Rehabilitation Science and Health Technology, Faculty of Health Sciences Oslo Metropolitan University, Oslo, NorwayIntroduction Virtual reality (VR) has been suggested as a promising technology for delivering cognitive training to persons with traumatic brain injury (TBI), as it can provide situations resembling everyday activities. Studies have demonstrated that persons with TBI manage utilizing VR in clinical settings; however, no studies have investigated VR use in home settings. The aim of this study was to explore how persons with TBI experience utilizing VR for rehabilitation at home and how they experience VR as cognitive training.Methods Individual qualitative interviews were conducted with ten persons with TBI, aged 18–65. Participants had experience using VR, as they were recruited from the intervention group in a randomized controlled trial investigating VR in cognitive training. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis.Results Participants highlighted the importance of creating new routines when fitting VR into everyday life. They addressed how being in a virtual world contributes to their motivation for cognitive training. Three themes were developed: ‘Fitting VR-training into everyday life’, ‘Navigating through change’ and ‘Being in two worlds at the same time’.Conclusion This study shows that participants experienced VR as motivating, engaging, and easy to use, regardless of prior experiences with VR. The participants demonstrated how they included VR in everyday life by creating new routines when they performed cognitive training. Therewere few reports of adverse events. However, some experienced that VR had a negative impact on their energy level. Participants described the importance of therapeutic involvement for individual tailoring of the intervention.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/07853890.2025.2490218Traumatic brain injuryTBIVirtual RealityVRcognitive trainingqualitative research |
| spellingShingle | Truls Johansen Martin Matre Sveinung Tornås Marianne Løvstad Jennie L. Ponsford Alexander Olsen Anne Lund I thought it would be difficult, but this is actually something I can do – experiences with Virtual Reality-based cognitive training in persons with TBI Annals of Medicine Traumatic brain injury TBI Virtual Reality VR cognitive training qualitative research |
| title | I thought it would be difficult, but this is actually something I can do – experiences with Virtual Reality-based cognitive training in persons with TBI |
| title_full | I thought it would be difficult, but this is actually something I can do – experiences with Virtual Reality-based cognitive training in persons with TBI |
| title_fullStr | I thought it would be difficult, but this is actually something I can do – experiences with Virtual Reality-based cognitive training in persons with TBI |
| title_full_unstemmed | I thought it would be difficult, but this is actually something I can do – experiences with Virtual Reality-based cognitive training in persons with TBI |
| title_short | I thought it would be difficult, but this is actually something I can do – experiences with Virtual Reality-based cognitive training in persons with TBI |
| title_sort | i thought it would be difficult but this is actually something i can do experiences with virtual reality based cognitive training in persons with tbi |
| topic | Traumatic brain injury TBI Virtual Reality VR cognitive training qualitative research |
| url | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/07853890.2025.2490218 |
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