Work

Recovering through play: Studying the effects of collaborative Virtual Reality serious games for stroke rehabilitation through a human-centered design methodology

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Stroke is one of the world’s leading causes of death and disability and can have profound consequences that require effective rehabilitation to support survivors’ recovery and improve their quality of life. Despite their value, traditional rehabilitation methods tend to be repetitive and lack variety, which challenges survivors’ motivation. Additionally, these rehabilitation sessions are usually solitary, leaving survivors to practice exercises alone, which can lead to physical setbacks and social isolation. Such isolation can further reduce enthusiasm for therapy, delay recovery, and affect their mental well-being. This work details an extended version from the International Workshop on eXtended Reality for Industrial and Occupational Supports (XRIOS), conducted at IEEE VR 2025. It proposes a collaborative Virtual Reality (VR) framework that aims to increase survivors’ motivation during rehabilitation. Through its collaborative nature, it can involve multiple users in the same virtual space, from stroke survivors to healthcare professionals, giving them a common goal that they must join forces to accomplish. Various serious games were designed through a series of activities focused on specific gestures related to the rehabilitation of the upper limbs, thus improving physical recovery and mental well-being. The design and development were guided by a human-centered methodology that included survivors and professionals, resulting in a user study with a total of 53 participants, 18 from a rehabilitation center. The results indicate that this collaborative VR tool effectively boosts motivation, social interaction, and engagement while maintaining an accessible and manageable level of physical and mental demand for stroke recovery, underscoring its suitability for stroke recovery.

Source: Computers & Graphics

DOI: 10.1016/j.cag.2025.104501

Authors: Sérgio Oliveira, Bernardo Marques, Paula Amorim, Mariana Leite, Carlos Ferreira, Beatriz Sousa Santos

Institutions: University of Aveiro, University of Beira Interior, Centro de Medicina de Reabilitação da Região Centro Rovisco Pais

Language: English

Topic: Stroke Rehabilitation and Recovery

Subfield: Rehabilitation

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $2,770