New Technologies In Neuropsychological Rehabilitation

Since its development, new technologies have entered not only people’s daily lives, but also in areas as important as health, such as in the field of neuropsychological rehabilitation.

They have been used for years in neuropsychology, which allowed the development of accurate, economical and simple to apply assessment instruments. In contrast, the use of new technologies in neuropsychological rehabilitation is more recent.

Benefits

New technologies in neuropsychology allow greater accessibility for users. For example, the remote assessment of patients who have difficulty moving around.

Likewise, the computerized application of instruments allows, in addition to obtaining accurate data, automatically customizing exercises based on the user’s performance.

On the other hand, it gives rise to individual and collective application, which reduces the volume of patients in public or private centers. Furthermore, it can be applied simultaneously to people with totally different incomes.

As for more technical aspects, although professional supervision is essential, it eliminates biases, both in the assessment and in the intervention, on the part of the professional.

Likewise, it is possible to carry out a strict protocol and the exact repetition of stimuli and exercises, just as it is easier to visualize the patient’s progress.

Finally, it seems that the use of new technologies creates a less formal impression of the intervention in the patient. This, although in some cases it can be negative, as a general rule motivates the user more than traditional tasks.

Generates in the patient the feeling of performing a more playful task, while training and rehabilitating their abilities.

Disadvantages

Despite the innumerable benefits of the new technologies in neuropsychological rehabilitation, it still poses some dangers. On the one hand, it is not possible, in all cases, to obtain qualitative information while the procedure is being carried out, unless it is applied in person.

Furthermore, the use of new technologies requires the user to have some familiarity with these tools. This is not only necessary to access them, but it can also interfere with performance during task development.

Technological tools used in neuropsychological rehabilitation

New technologies have been developed for cognitive training as well as specific rehabilitation. These tools can be used with all types of population, although some have been developed for specific populations (children, elderly, brain damage, etc.).

Currently, the two tools most frequently used in the field of neuropsychological rehabilitation are the software computerized and virtual reality. Here are some examples.

software

In this area, computerized instruments for carrying out cognitive training predominate . Today there are numerous options, although not all have proven their effectiveness and validity.

One of the most used platforms is NeuronUp. This tool allows for rehabilitation and cognitive stimulation, combining exercises for basic cognitive functions, activities of daily living and social skills.

Also, it can be combined with traditional methods, or the same exercises can be done in pencil and paper.

The amount of software that has been developed for the cognitive training of elderly people is also enormous .

Some examples, such as Mementia, Kwido and VIRTRA-EL, allow healthy elderly people, with cognitive impairment or dementia, to train their cognitive functions through simple games adapted to the performance of each one.

On the other hand, applications were created that allow training and control of intervention from a distance, such as CloudRehab. This free app is intended for the neuropsychological rehabilitation of people with brain damage who have seen their mobility deteriorate.

CloudRehab is used so that patients can perform the same exercises they do in therapy at home, upload a video to the cloud and be supervised by professionals without having to travel unless necessary.

Virtual reality

This technology offers the possibility of creating contextualized and enriched environments, so that assessments and interventions are more organic and generalizable.

In addition, this feature allows you to control the environment in which the exercises are performed, allowing for a large number of applications. Through this technology, cities, houses or specific situations are created where rehabilitation exercises can be performed.

Virtual reality is still developing in the field of rehabilitation. However, satisfactory results have been reported in the rehabilitation of patients with psychomotor problems and the elderly.

An example of a virtual reality tool is VinCI, which also offers the possibility of biofeedback. That is, the person can know how he is doing the task and can modify his answer.

The future of neuropsychological rehabilitation

There is no doubt that technology is advancing at a dizzying pace, and with it more and more tools will be developed that can be applied to neuropsychological rehabilitation.

At the moment, there are already numerous tools available that make rehabilitation a little easier, enriching it thanks to their advantages.

Although there are still no solid conclusions about its effectiveness and validity, the benefits that are being obtained point to the fact that new technologies in neuropsychological rehabilitation are here to stay.