Immersive virtual reality cognitive rehabilitation for post-stroke cognitive impairment
Immersive Virtual Reality in Cognitive Rehabilitation of Patients With Post-Stroke Cognitive Impairment: A Pilot Study at the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Clinical Hospital of the University of Chile
This pilot will try immersive virtual reality exercises with adults who have cognitive problems after a stroke to see if the approach is feasible, safe, and acceptable during outpatient rehabilitation.
Quick facts
| Phase | Not applicable |
|---|---|
| Study type | Interventional |
| Enrollment | 20 (estimated) |
| Ages | 18 Years and up |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | University of Chile Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Independencia, Santiago Metropolitan) |
| Trial ID | NCT07125170 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this trial studies
This single-arm pilot delivers ten supervised immersive VR sessions using a Meta Quest 3 headset and interactive software to adults with post-stroke cognitive impairment at an outpatient occupational therapy unit. Sessions focus on gamified tasks that train memory, attention, and executive functions and occur two to three times weekly over about four weeks. The study collects feasibility metrics including recruitment rate, adherence, therapist-reported usability, and patient-reported tolerability and adverse effects using the Simulator Sickness Questionnaire. Exploratory outcomes include changes in global and domain-specific cognition and patient-reported quality of life.
Who should consider this trial
Good fit: Adults within three months of a cerebrovascular accident who have mild-to-moderate cognitive impairment (MoCA < 24) and can tolerate a head-mounted display and attend outpatient occupational therapy.
Not a fit: Patients with severe motor impairments, refractive errors that prevent headset use, severe aphasia preventing cognitive testing, or severe psychiatric symptoms are unlikely to benefit from this intervention.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the program could make cognitive rehabilitation more engaging and potentially improve memory, attention, and everyday functioning after stroke.
How similar studies have performed: Previous small pilot studies of VR-based cognitive rehabilitation have shown promising tolerability and some cognitive gains, but larger controlled trials are still needed.
Eligibility criteria
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Patients over 18 years of age * Patients with a cerebrovascular accident of any etiology with less than 3 months of progression * Patients with mild to moderate cognitive impairment post-stroke (impairment in at least one cognitive domain) * MoCA score of less than 24 points * Referred for cognitive rehabilitation at the Occupational Therapy Unit of HCUCH Exclusion Criteria: * Patients with refractive errors that prevent the use of the headset * Patients with any type of aphasia that prevents the administration of the MoCA test * Patients with severe psychiatric disorders (presence of psychotic symptoms or derealization) * Patients with severe motor impairments (lack of trunk control or global strength of both upper limbs \< M3)
Where this trial is running
Independencia, Santiago Metropolitan
- Hospital Clinico de la Universidad de Chile — Independencia, Santiago Metropolitan, Chile (Recruiting)
Study contacts
- Study coordinator: Natalia Gattini, MD
- Email: ngattini@hcuch.cl
- Phone: +56989019110
How to participate
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
- Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.