Enhancing Brain Training With Virtual Reality



Status:Recruiting
Conditions:Neurology, Neurology
Therapuetic Areas:Neurology
Healthy:No
Age Range:18 - 75
Updated:7/13/2018
Start Date:June 27, 2018
End Date:August 2019
Contact:Olga Pikul
Email:olga.pikul@rochester.edu
Phone:585-273-3240

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The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of brain training in a Virtual
Reality set up in neurotypical populations as well as in the traumatic brain injury
population.

Brain training is a large and a growing field, both scientifically and commercially. Emerging
evidence demonstrates that training can promote beneficial brain plasticity in both healthy
individuals and clinical populations. Much of the recent interest in brain training can be
traced back to the seminal work done at the University of Rochester, where Daphne Bavelier
and colleagues showed that training with action video games (AVG) can lead to a wide range of
cognitive and perceptual improvements. In our recent work, we developed a novel training
paradigm that isolates and concentrates the key aspects of AVG-training while eliminating
complex and often violent gameplay associated with AVGs. The results revealed similarly broad
effects of training as with conventional AVGs. In this study, we aim to move this training
paradigm to virtual reality (VR) and extend its application to cognitive aging and mild
traumatic brain injury (TBI) populations.

Inclusion Criteria:

A person is eligible for inclusion in the study if he/she:

- Is an adult over the age of 18.

- Has the capacity to give consent.

- Has normal or corrected to normal vision.

- Has adequate hearing.

- Is a non-action video game player.

- Is a non-VR game player. All subjects will be assigned to one of four groups: a
Control Group training in VR, a Control Groups training on a 2D display, an Older
Adult Group without dementia training in VR, and a College Athletes with mild TBI
Group training in VR.

Specific Inclusion Criteria for both Control Groups. The subject must:

- Be between the ages of 18 and 35.

- Have no neurologic or vascular disorders/injuries.

Specific Inclusion Criteria for the College Athletes with TBI Group. The subject must:

- Be between the ages of 18 and 35.

- Be diagnosed with mild TBI (i.e., concussion) within the last two weeks.

Specific Inclusion Criteria for the Older Adult Group. The subject must:

- Be over the age of 65.

- Have no neurologic or vascular disorders/injuries.

Exclusion Criteria:

A person will be excluded from the study if he/she:

• Is under the age of 18.
We found this trial at
1
site
60 Crittenden Blvd # 70
Rochester, New York 14642
(585) 275-2121
Phone: 585-273-3240
University of Rochester The University of Rochester is one of the country's top-tier research universities....
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Rochester, NY
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