Go Virtual to Get Real: Virtual Reality as a Resource for Spinal Cord Treatment
Abstract: Increasingly, refined virtual reality (VR) techniques allow for the simultaneous and coherent
stimulation of multiple sensory and motor domains. In some clinical interventions, such as those
related to spinal cord injuries (SCIs), the impact of VR on people′s multisensory perception, movements,
attitudes, and even modulations of socio‐cognitive aspects of their behavior may influence
every phase of their rehabilitation treatment, from the acute to chronic stages. This work describes
the potential advantages of using first‐person‐perspective VR to treat SCIs and its implications for
manipulating sensory‐motor feedback to alter body signals. By situating a patient with SCI in a
virtual environment, sensorial perceptions and motor intention can be enriched into a more coherent
bodily experience that also promotes processes of neural regeneration and plasticity. In addition
to the great potential of research, the most significant areas of interest concern is managing neuropathic
pain, motor rehabilitation, and psychological well‐being.