Maggio Maria Grazia, Benenati Alessandra, Impellizzeri Federica, Rizzo Amelia, Barbera Martina, Cannavò Antonino, Gregoli Vera, Morone Giovanni, Chirico Francesco, Quartarone Angelo, Calabrò Rocco Salvatore
IRCCS Centro Neurolesi Bonino-Pulejo, 98124 Messina, Italy.
Department of Psychology "Renzo Canestrari", University of Bologna, Via Zamboni, 33, 40126 Bologna, Italy.
Brain Sci. 2024 Dec 5;14(12):1227. doi: 10.3390/brainsci14121227.
While conventional MS rehabilitation primarily addresses physical and cognitive symptoms, recent advances in VR technology offer immersive environments that facilitate both emotional and cognitive skill development. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the impact of VR-based training on emotional self-efficacy in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients and examine its association with cognitive function improvement. Additionally, this study aims to explore potential gender differences in these outcomes, hypothesizing that gender may influence the effectiveness of VR-based rehabilitation, which could inform more tailored approaches for emotional and cognitive rehabilitation in MS.
The present retrospective study analyzed data from 43 MS patients undergoing cognitive and behavioral rehabilitation at the IRCCS Centro Neurolesi "Bonino Pulejo" in Italy, comparing a VR intervention group (VR-G) and a control group receiving traditional rehabilitation. Emotional self-efficacy, depression, and anxiety were assessed, alongside cognitive function pre- and post-intervention.
Findings indicate that the VR-G showed significant improvements in managing negative emotions, reduced depressive and anxiety symptoms, and enhanced cognitive performance, particularly in verbal learning and working memory. Gender-based analysis revealed a trend suggesting that females in the VR-G may exhibit greater improvements in positive emotional self-efficacy, although this difference did not reach statistical significance. Spearman's correlation highlighted associations between emotional self-efficacy and cognitive gains, supporting the potential of VR to foster both emotional and cognitive resilience.
These findings suggest that VR training may provide a tailored approach for MS rehabilitation, enhancing therapeutic outcomes by integrating emotional and cognitive training in an immersive setting. Further research should investigate long-term effects and neurophysiological correlates of VR training to optimize MS rehabilitation.
传统的多发性硬化症（MS）康复主要针对身体和认知症状，而虚拟现实（VR）技术的最新进展提供了沉浸式环境，有助于情感和认知技能的发展。本研究的目的是评估基于VR的训练对MS患者情绪自我效能的影响，并检验其与认知功能改善的关联。此外，本研究旨在探索这些结果中潜在的性别差异，假设性别可能影响基于VR的康复效果，这可为MS患者的情感和认知康复提供更具针对性的方法。
本回顾性研究分析了意大利IRCCS神经损伤中心“博尼诺·普莱乔”43例接受认知和行为康复的MS患者的数据，比较了VR干预组（VR-G）和接受传统康复的对照组。评估了情绪自我效能、抑郁和焦虑情况，同时在干预前后评估了认知功能。
研究结果表明，VR-G组在管理负面情绪方面有显著改善，抑郁和焦虑症状减轻，认知表现增强，尤其是在言语学习和工作记忆方面。基于性别的分析显示出一种趋势，即VR-G组中的女性在积极情绪自我效能方面可能有更大改善，尽管这种差异未达到统计学意义。斯皮尔曼相关性分析突出了情绪自我效能与认知改善之间的关联，支持了VR促进情感和认知恢复力的潜力。
这些发现表明，VR训练可能为MS康复提供一种针对性的方法，通过在沉浸式环境中整合情感和认知训练来提高治疗效果。进一步的研究应调查VR训练的长期效果和神经生理学相关性，以优化MS康复。
