MindMaze SA, Lausanne, Switzerland.
J Neuroeng Rehabil. 2018 Nov 26;15(1):113. doi: 10.1186/s12984-018-0461-0.
In the context of stroke rehabilitation, new training approaches mediated by virtual reality and videogames are usually discussed and evaluated together in reviews and meta-analyses. This represents a serious confounding factor that is leading to misleading, inconclusive outcomes in the interest of validating these new solutions.
Extending existing definitions of virtual reality, in this paper I put forward the concept of virtual reality experience (VRE), generated by virtual reality systems (VRS; i.e. a group of variable technologies employed to create a VRE). Then, I review the main components composing a VRE, and how they may purposely affect the mind and body of participants in the context of neurorehabilitation. In turn, VRS are not anymore exclusive from VREs but are currently used in videogames and other human-computer interaction applications in different domains. Often, these other applications receive the name of virtual reality applications as they use VRS. However, they do not necessarily create a VRE. I put emphasis on exposing fundamental similarities and differences between VREs and videogames for neurorehabilitation. I also recommend describing and evaluating the specific features encompassing the intervention rather than evaluating virtual reality or videogames as a whole.
This disambiguation between VREs, VRS and videogames should help reduce confusion in the field. This is important for databases searches when looking for specific studies or building metareviews that aim at evaluating the efficacy of technology-mediated interventions.
在中风康复的背景下，新的训练方法，如虚拟现实和视频游戏介导的方法，通常在综述和荟萃分析中一起讨论和评估。这是一个严重的混杂因素，导致为了验证这些新解决方案的有效性而得出误导性、非结论性的结果。
在本文中，我扩展了虚拟现实的现有定义，提出了虚拟现实体验（VRE）的概念，它是由虚拟现实系统（VRS；即一组用于创建 VRE 的可变技术）产生的。然后，我回顾了构成 VRE 的主要组件，以及它们如何在神经康复的背景下有意地影响参与者的身心。反过来，VRS 不再与 VRE 完全分开，而是目前在不同领域的视频游戏和其他人机交互应用中使用。通常，这些其他应用程序被称为虚拟现实应用程序，因为它们使用 VRS。然而，它们并不一定创建 VRE。我强调了 VRE 和视频游戏在神经康复方面的基本相似之处和不同之处。我还建议描述和评估包括干预措施的具体特征，而不是整体评估虚拟现实或视频游戏。
这种对 VRE、VRS 和视频游戏的区分应该有助于减少该领域的混淆。当寻找特定的研究或构建旨在评估技术介导的干预措施的功效的荟萃分析时，这对于数据库搜索很重要。
