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Applications of Head-Mounted Displays for Virtual Reality in Adult Physical Rehabilitation: A Scoping Review.

Abstract

IMPORTANCE: Head-mounted displays for virtual reality (HMD-VR) may be used as a therapeutic medium in physical rehabilitation because of their ability to immerse patients in safe, controlled, and engaging virtual worlds. OBJECTIVE: To explore how HMD-VR has been used in adult physical rehabilitation. DATA SOURCES: A systematic search of MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Library, CINAHL, Web of Science, PsycINFO, and ERIC produced 11,453 abstracts, of which 777 underwent full-text review. STUDY SELECTION AND DATA COLLECTION: This scoping review includes 21 experimental studies that reported an assessment or intervention using HMD-VR in a physical rehabilitation context and within the scope of occupational therapy practice. FINDINGS: HMD-VR was used for assessment and intervention for patients with a range of disorders, including stroke, multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injury, and Parkinsons disease. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: HMD-VR is an emerging technology with many uses in adult physical rehabilitation. Higher quality clinical implementation studies are needed to examine effects on patient outcomes. WHAT THIS ARTICLE ADDS: We review existing research on how immersive virtual reality (e.g., using head-mounted displays) has been used for different clinical populations in adult physical rehabilitation and highlight emerging opportunities in this field for occupational therapists.

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