VR provides a safe, controlled, and engaging environment where patients can perform repetitive and task-specific movements essential for motor relearning.

Post brain surgery, many patients are left with physical, cognitive and emotional impairments, necessitating a comprehensive neurorehabilitation. Virtual Reality (VR) and gaming, known only as means of entertainment, are rising rapidly as powerful tools for neurorehabilitation.

Hundreds of patients undergo surgery to remove brain tumours, which are among the most complex and life-altering medical conditions a person can face. Whether benign or malignant, tumours can affect everything from motor function and speech to memory and mood.

However, post-surgery, many patients are left with physical, cognitive and emotional impairments, necessitating a comprehensive neurorehabilitation to regain the quality of life they had before the tumour changed everything.

As India continues to embrace technological advancements in the field of healthcare, Virtual Reality (VR) and gaming, known only as means of entertainment, are rising rapidly as powerful tools for neurorehabilitation.

They are driving a transformative shift in the way patients recover after brain surgery by offering immersive, interactive experiences that can enhance the effectiveness of the treatment and accelerate healing.

The science behind the recovery

Recovering from brain surgery is a long and complex process. The brain cannot immediately bounce back to wellness after the surgery; it has to rewire itself.

The ability of the brain to do so, through constant learning and experience, is known as neuroplasticity. This is how the brain forms new neural connections to restore its lost functions. Gaming and VR are supporting this rebuilding in multiple impactful ways.

VR immerses patients in simulated environments that engage multiple senses such as sight, sound, and body awareness (proprioception).

These immersive experiences trigger diverse areas of the brain, encouraging synaptic changes (at junctions between neurons) and neural reorganisation. By engaging motor, sensory and cognitive regions simultaneously, VR promotes more integrated and effective recovery.

Enhancing motor rehabilitation

After surgery, many patients struggle with motor impairments such as weakness or loss of coordination. However, VR provides a safe, controlled, and engaging environment where patients can perform repetitive and task-specific movements essential for motor relearning.

For example, VR games simulating cricket batting, catching the ball, or goalkeeping require the patients to practice shoulder, arm, and hand movements repeatedly, which promotes the recovery of motor functions. These games also offer real-time feedback and adjust difficulty levels to keep patients motivated without causing burnout.

Furthermore, observing and interacting with virtual tasks can stimulate mirror neurons, which play a role in motor learning and rehabilitation. This mechanism may amplify brain neurotransmission within spared neural circuits (a population of neurons), facilitating recovery.

Cognitive rehabilitation

Brain surgery can impair attention, memory, executive functions, and problem-solving abilities. Gaming and VR environments can simulate daily scenarios and present problem-solving tasks that challenge the brain in a controlled, repeatable way.

Games focused on memory, puzzles, and strategic thinking push the brain to work harder in an enjoyable format.

Over time, these exercises improve working memory, executive function, and mental agility, which are key components of a patient’s cognitive recovery.

Emotional and psychological support

The emotional toll of brain surgery is often underestimated. Many patients experience anxiety, depression, and a loss of confidence. By immersing patients in calming or goal-oriented environments, VR offers psychological relief and a renewed sense of purpose.

Engaging with virtual worlds that allow patients to see and feel their progress boosts their self-esteem and helps them to foster a more optimistic outlook.

This emotional engagement is critical for sustaining motivation and routinely following the recovery plan.

Advantages of VR and gaming in neurorehabilitation

• Repetition with engagement: Games provide the necessary repetitive practice for neuroplasticity while adding fun, keeping the patients engaged.
• Real-time feedback and adaptation: VR systems often incorporate real-time biofeedback and adaptive difficulty, which help patients optimise their performance and maintain engagement without fatigue. This personalised approach enhances motor learning and cognitive recovery by continuously challenging the brain at an appropriate level.
• Low cost and accessibility: Many VR and gaming solutions developed in India, such as those by the Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) Hyderabad’s Serious Games Lab, are cost-effective and culturally adapted, making them suitable for deployment in public healthcare settings, including rural areas.

Gaming and VR are attempting to revolutionise neurorehabilitation for brain surgery patients in India. However, there is no clear picture of the extent to which these technologies are being used.

As technology becomes more affordable and widely available, gaming and VR will likely play an even bigger role in helping patients get back to their lives after undergoing a brain surgery.

(Views expressed are personal. Edited by Muhammed Fazil.)

Source: The South First