Use of virtual reality in occupational therapy: a cross-sectional study in neuro-rehabilitation centers in Alicante

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to analyze the use of virtual reality among occupational therapists working with neurological patients. Methods. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on occupational therapists working in neurorehabilitation centers in the Alicante province between February and May 2017. The information was collected using an online questionnaire made up of 36 questions. RESULTS: Of the 23 participants, the majority of them were women (82.6%) with an average age of 31.4 years (SD: 4.1). Approximately half of them (52.2%) used virtual reality as a treatment tool, mainly with adults aged 46-65 (75.0%) affected by acquired brain damage (75.0%) and with cognitive alterations (91.7%). The intervention areas targeted were: attention (83.3%), vision (75.0%), upper limb mobility (75.0%), verbal communication (66.7%), eating (50.0%), shopping (41.7%), and social participation with friends (41.7%). The most used virtual reality systems in occupational therapy treatments were the NeuronUp platform (50.0%) and Xbox Kinect (R) / Nintendo Wii (R) (33.3%) used with a computer or a tablet. CONCLUSIONS: Only half of the occupational therapists in the study used virtual reality as a complementary tool for conventional treatment. Further studies exploring the use of these techniques in occupational therapy with people affected by neurological conditions are required