TY - JOUR
T1 - Navigation strategy training using virtual reality in six chronic stroke patients
T2 - A novel and explorative approach to the rehabilitation of navigation impairment
AU - Claessen, Michiel H G
AU - van der Ham, Ineke J M
AU - Jagersma, Elbrich
AU - Visser-Meily, Johanna M A
PY - 2016
Y1 - 2016
N2 - Recent studies have shown that navigation impairment is a common complaint after brain injury. Effective training programmes aiming to improve navigation ability in neurological patients are, however, scarce. The few reported programmes are merely focused on recalling specific routes rather than encouraging brain-damaged patients to use an alternative navigation strategy, applicable to any route. Our aim was therefore to investigate the feasibility of a (virtual reality) navigation training as a tool to instruct chronic stroke patients to adopt an alternative navigation strategy. Navigation ability was systematically assessed before the training. The training approach was then determined based on the individual pattern of navigation deficits of each patient. The use of virtual reality in the navigation strategy training in six middle-aged stroke patients was found to be highly feasible. Furthermore, five patients learned to (partially) apply an alternative navigation strategy in the virtual environment, suggesting that navigation strategies are mouldable rather than static. In the evaluation of their training experiences, the patients judged the training as valuable and proposed some suggestions for further improvement. The notion that the navigation strategy people use can be influenced after a short training procedure is a novel finding and initiates a direction for future studies.
AB - Recent studies have shown that navigation impairment is a common complaint after brain injury. Effective training programmes aiming to improve navigation ability in neurological patients are, however, scarce. The few reported programmes are merely focused on recalling specific routes rather than encouraging brain-damaged patients to use an alternative navigation strategy, applicable to any route. Our aim was therefore to investigate the feasibility of a (virtual reality) navigation training as a tool to instruct chronic stroke patients to adopt an alternative navigation strategy. Navigation ability was systematically assessed before the training. The training approach was then determined based on the individual pattern of navigation deficits of each patient. The use of virtual reality in the navigation strategy training in six middle-aged stroke patients was found to be highly feasible. Furthermore, five patients learned to (partially) apply an alternative navigation strategy in the virtual environment, suggesting that navigation strategies are mouldable rather than static. In the evaluation of their training experiences, the patients judged the training as valuable and proposed some suggestions for further improvement. The notion that the navigation strategy people use can be influenced after a short training procedure is a novel finding and initiates a direction for future studies.
KW - Navigation strategy training
KW - Neuropsychological rehabilitation
KW - Route and survey knowledge
KW - Stroke patients
KW - Virtual reality
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84930390738&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/09602011.2015.1045910
DO - 10.1080/09602011.2015.1045910
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84930390738
SN - 0960-2011
VL - 26
SP - 822
EP - 846
JO - Neuropsychological Rehabilitation
JF - Neuropsychological Rehabilitation
IS - 5-6
ER -