The Application of Virtual Reality in the Diagnosis, Rehabilitation, and Surgical Interventions of Neurological Disorders: A Brief Scoping Review

Document Type : Review Articles

Authors
Fatemeh Torabi-Konjin 1
Saeed Oraee-Yazdani 2
1 PhD Candidate, Department of Management and Information Technology, School of Management and Information Technology, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
2 Associate Professor, Functional Neurosurgery Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
10.48305/jrrs.2026.42673.1090
Abstract
Introduction: Technological advancements in the healthcare industry have introduced transformative opportunities to enhance patients' quality of life and optimize clinical services. As an emerging technology, Virtual Reality (VR) provides simulated three-dimensional environments with diverse interactive capabilities. In academic fields, the application of VR is expanding into various medical sciences, including neurological disorders. It plays a valuable role in cognitive assessments for diagnosis, rehabilitation, and medical education. Furthermore, it serves as an effective tool for training residents in preoperative planning and intraoperative procedures, as well as in interventional radiology. This study aims to review the scientific literature on the application of virtual reality in the diagnosis, rehabilitation, and surgery of neurological disorders.
Materials and Methods: In this review, a total of 30 articles were selected from an initial pool of English and Persian studies identified through PubMed and Magiran databases, accessed via Google Scholar and Science Direct. The search targeted publications indexed between 2010 and 2023 for English sources and between 2017 and 2024 for Persian sources using keywords such as “Virtual Reality”, “Rehabilitation”, “Neurological Disorders”, and “Neurosurgery”, and their Persian equivalents. In scoping studies, assessing the quality and risk of bias in articles is not mandatory; therefore, these evaluations were not performed in this study.
Results: It appears that following the application of virtual reality in disorders related to the central nervous system, a significant improvement has been observed in patients' cognitive-behavioral issues, such as attention, concentration, and stress. Based on the reviewed articles, this technology can be used to assess symptoms associated with the onset of neurological disorders. Additionally, it can be utilized in training residents both before and during surgical procedures.
Conclusion: Given the diverse applications of this technology in rehabilitation, diagnosis, and pre- and intra-surgical training, it is recommended that systematic review studies be conducted specifically within each domain, namely assessment, diagnosis, surgical treatment, and rehabilitation of neurological problems. Furthermore, such studies should explore the integration of artificial intelligence. If possible, the most optimal clinical approach for each domain should be identified.

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