Introduction Comprehensive rehabilitation is essential to enhance the quality of life and cognitive performance of traumatic brain injury (TBI) survivors. Virtual reality (VR) has emerged as a promising tool for TBI rehabilitation due to its ability to provide an engaging and tailored environment.

Materials and Methods This was a randomized comparative study conducted at tertiary hospital and included individuals aged between 18 and 60 with mild-to-moderate cognitive impairment due to TBI. The participants were divided into a case group receiving intensive VR rehabilitation and a control group receiving standard care. Cognitive assessments were conducted before and after treatment, and during follow-up.

Results VR rehabilitation demonstrated significant improvements in cognitive function. The VR group exhibited remarkable progress in the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), Tower of London (TOL), and Trail Making Test (TMT) scores. Baseline MoCA, TOL, and TMT scores (mean value) of case group 16.5, 11.75, and 14.05 and for control group 17, 10, and 13 were respectively. All the parameters of case group improved at the time of discharge (MoCA: 24.3, TOL: 22, TMT: 27.5) and in follow-up (MoCA: 28.5, TOL: 32.5, TMT: 42.07) as compared with control group at discharge (MoCA: 19, TOL: 13, TMT: 17) and in follow-up (MoCA: 21, TOL: 15, TMT: 19), which shows significant improvement in case group (p < 0.001) as compared with control group.

Conclusion VR rehabilitation significantly improves cognitive outcomes in TBI patients. It has the potential to be a significant tool in TBI rehabilitation.

Article published online:
04 July 2024

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