The Development of a Virtual Reality Program to Improve Attention in Individuals With TBI

Kessler Foundation

Status: Unknown

Conditions: TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury)

Treatments: Behavioral: Virtual Reality Executive Function Training (VREFT)

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other; Other U.S. Federal agency

Identifiers

NCT03605017

R-820-14

Details and patient eligibility

About

The purpose of this research is to investigate the effectiveness of a technique designed to improve divided attention and set-shifting impairments in persons with a traumatic brain injury (TBI). The study is designed to evaluate how well this technique can help people with TBI increase their attention and ability to function better in everyday life.

Full description

A pilot study will be conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of a technique designed to improve higher level attention (switching between tasks and multi-tasking) for persons with a traumatic brain injury. 32 individuals with TBI will be recruited. Baseline assessment includes neuropsychological evaluation using traditional measures as well as a completion of a number of questionnaires designed to measure everyday attention and everyday functioning. Participants are random assigned to either the experimental or control groups. Experimental and control treatments include two 60 minute sessions, twice per week, for 5 weeks. Follow-up assessment includes a neuropsychological evaluation using traditional measures as well as a completion of a number of questionnaires designed to measure everyday attention and everyday functioning. Protocol efficacy will be determined by improvements between baseline and follow-up on several objective and functional measures of divided attention and set-shifting.

Enrollment: 32 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 65 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• between the ages of 18-65
• diagnosis of TBI
• can read and speak English fluently

Exclusion criteria

• prior stroke or neurological disease other than TBI
• unstable or uncontrolled seizures
• currently taking benzodiazepines

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Triple Blind

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32 participants in 2 patient groups

VREFT: Wonderkin Treatment

Experimental group

Description:

Administered by computer

Treatment:

Behavioral: Virtual Reality Executive Function Training (VREFT)

VREFT: Attention Control

Active Comparator group

Description:

Administered by computer

Treatment:

Behavioral: Virtual Reality Executive Function Training (VREFT)