Using Virtual Reality and Music in Cognitive Disability Therapy

Abstract

Traditional therapy methods for people with cognitive disabilities involve long periods of time performing exercises that can be tedious or unattractive for both patients and the professionals who work with them in specialized centers. In this work we aim at investigating the possibilities that combining music and virtual reality technology might offer for improving this scenario. Following this purpose, we applied an action research approach to co-develop with stakeholders a highly-configurable and accessible application to support exercising abilities usually targeted in rehabilitation therapy, such as coordination and motor skills, memory, and spatial perception. The results of an experiment carried out with both professionals and patients showed promising results, suggesting that this type of technology could improve the rehabilitation process, and make it more engaging.