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=====Meeting Summary for BNUG's June 3, 2025 meeting=====

<fs xx-large>Using AI with VR in Occupational Therapy</fs> 

====Quick recap====

Nancy presented on the therapeutic applications of virtual reality (VR) in neuro-rehabilitation, discussing its immersive capabilities and potential benefits for patients with various neurological conditions. She explored the technical aspects of VR equipment and demonstrated its effectiveness in improving gait, balance, and cognitive function through research studies and practical examples. The group discussed challenges and accessibility concerns, while Nancy shared her personal experiences with VR's pain management benefits and demonstrated a vision enhancement headset for patients with retinitis pigmentosa.


====Summary====

===VR in Neurorehabilitation Therapy===
Nancy presented on the use of virtual reality (VR) in neurorehabilitation for patients with acquired brain injuries, Parkinson's dementia, multiple sclerosis, and other neurological conditions. She explained the concept of immersive VR as a life-size, computer-generated, three-dimensional environment that reacts to user movements and suppresses the external world. Nancy discussed the therapeutic potential of VR in simulating real-life experiences for patients, and demonstrated a VR experience from the Quest by Meta. She also introduced the idea of the virtuality-reality continuum, which includes augmented and mixed reality, and mentioned that rehabilitation therapy is increasingly exploring mixed reality concepts.

===Understanding Virtual Reality Experiences===
Nancy discussed the immersive and engaging nature of virtual reality (VR), highlighting its potential for realistic experiences, especially for individuals with disabilities. She explained the key components of VR equipment, including head-mounted displays, hand controllers, and the ability to track hands without controllers, as well as the types of software used. Nancy also covered concepts such as immersion, presence, authenticity, and embodiment, using examples like the rubber hand illusion to demonstrate how the brain can be tricked into experiencing a simulated body as real. Martin asked about how VR headsets track head movement, and Nancy explained that it depends on the headset type, either using internal cameras or external sensors. 

===VR in Rehabilitation and Medicine===
Nancy discussed the history and applications of virtual reality (VR) in rehabilitation and medicine, highlighting its recent development and growing research interest. She explained how VR can be used for assessment, exposure therapy, distraction, and pain management, noting its ecological validity, patient-centered approach, and potential to make therapy more engaging. Nancy also shared examples of VR's effectiveness in treating conditions like PTSD, chronic pain, and dementia, emphasizing its promise as a therapeutic tool despite the need for further research.

===VR Applications for Health and Empathy===
Nancy presented research on the use of embodied virtual reality (VR) to improve gait and balance in stroke patients, where participants who watched their own avatar walk showed significant improvements after 11 weeks compared to controls. She also discussed how VR can help individuals with anorexia nervosa by gradually morphing their distorted body image to a healthier appearance, and how body swapping in VR can increase empathy. The group also explored how VR can be used to motivate people through gamification, with Nancy noting that the "just right challenge" makes activities more engaging and enjoyable.

===VR Applications in Rehabilitation===
Nancy presented research on virtual reality (VR) applications in rehabilitation, highlighting its effectiveness in increasing workout intensity for Parkinson's patients and improving balance training outcomes for individuals with paraplegia. She discussed how VR can be used to reduce stress, anxiety, and depression, citing studies showing its benefits for both the general population and those with mental health disorders. Nancy also explained how VR cognitive retraining can be more effective than traditional methods for improving cognitive function in patients with traumatic brain injury and stroke, and she described an FDA-approved VR program for chronic back pain that combines mindfulness training with immersive experiences.

===VR Therapy for Parkinson's Patients===
Nancy discussed the emerging use of virtual reality (VR) in therapy, particularly for Parkinson's disease and other neurological disorders. She explained that while VR shows promise as a treatment tool, there is limited information on its current use in the Boston area for Parkinson's patients. Nancy suggested Tom reach out to Parkinson's foundations or Tufts University for potential leads. She also highlighted VR's effectiveness in teaching medical students and improving activities of daily living for dementia patients. Adam offered to follow up with Tom about connecting with occupational therapy students who might have information on VR use for Parkinson's.

===VR Therapy Challenges and Benefits===
Nancy discussed the challenges and potential of using virtual reality (VR) in therapy, highlighting issues such as the lack of haptic feedback, the difficulty for clients with fine motor skills to use controllers, and the occurrence of VR sickness. She shared her personal experience discovering VR's pain-relieving effects while working with patients suffering from chronic pain, which led her to explore its therapeutic applications further. Martin inquired about the use of Botox for migraine pain, to which Nancy responded that it can be effective for some individuals, despite vision being a known migraine trigger.

===VR in Pain Management Strategies===
Nancy discussed how virtual reality (VR) can be used in pain management and rehabilitation, highlighting its effectiveness in reducing pain and encouraging exercise through immersive programs. She emphasized that VR is a tool to teach patients coping strategies and provide non-threatening education about chronic pain, while also noting that many of these techniques can be applied without VR using simpler methods like mirrors. Adam raised concerns about accessibility and cost, questioning whether the benefits of VR could be replicated with lower-tech methods, to which Nancy confirmed that similar techniques have been used for decades without VR, but VR offers enhanced capabilities. Both agreed that determining the appropriate use cases for VR is crucial, as it is not a one-size-fits-all solution.

===VR for Vision Enhancement===
Nancy presented on virtual reality (VR) technology for vision enhancement, demonstrating how her headset allows Alex, who has retinitis pigmentosa, to see with 14x magnification and 100% brightness through pass-through sensors. She explained that VR headsets cost $300-500 and software ranges from free to $50, with subscription services like TRIP for nature meditation. The group discussed how practitioners can learn about VR, with Nancy suggesting they could start by purchasing a headset and exploring available software, while Adam recommended reaching out to VA system employees who are already using VR for patient care. 

The recording of this presentation is available to view on [[https://youtu.be/1cqVJHPHhuU|YouTube]].  This summary material is copyright (c)2025 Professor Nancy A. Baker and True Images Productions, All Rights Reserved.