Designing an ecological and adaptable virtual task in the context of executive functions

Stud Health Technol Inform. 2009:144:248-52.

Abstract

Brain damage is a major cause of disability that often leads to deficits in Executive Functions (EF) with dramatic consequences on activities of daily living. While rehabilitation approaches of the dysexecutive syndrome are still limited, Virtual Reality (VR) has shown its potential to propose innovative intervention strategies based on ecologically valid functional tasks. The purpose of this paper is to present the design process of the Therapeutic Virtual Kitchen (TVK) in which ecological and adaptable virtual tasks may be configured by the therapists for patients' assessment and rehabilitation. The outcomes of a preliminary test of feasibility among members of our laboratory and Kerpape Rehabilitation Center are reported and discussed.

MeSH terms

  • Activities of Daily Living
  • Brain Injuries / rehabilitation
  • Executive Function*
  • Humans
  • Neuropsychological Tests*
  • User-Computer Interface