Evaluating virtual reality communication training in nursing and medical education: A multi-country cross-sectional study.

The integration of virtual reality (VR) into clinical sciences education offers transformative potential for enhancing experiential learning and clinical training. This paper presents a comprehensive framework for integrating VR into clinical sciences education, using a case study from a speech-language pathology (SLP) program. It provides a roadmap for aligning VR integration with program and institutional goals, ensuring sustainability, and fostering stakeholder collaboration. Key components of the integration process are identified, and a case study on the implementation of the Bodyswaps VR platform for training active listening skills in SLP students is presented to illustrate the practical application and benefits of VR in clinical education. Preliminary findings indicate that VR integration increased student engagement and self-efficacy and improved clinical competencies. This paper concludes with reflections on the challenges and future directions of VR adoption in higher education. The roadmap presented serves as a scalable model for other programs seeking to leverage VR to enhance educational outcomes, boost student engagement, and prepare students for a technologically advanced workforce.

Virtual reality for pain control during intrauterine device insertion: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Virtual reality (VR) has been adopted in the education field, providing students with innovative methods to acquire and practice skills. With the increasing importance of English education in vocational colleges, learning method (LM) should be transformed and improved to enhance learning efficiency. VR is recognized as a valuable tool to improve learning outcomes, yet its application in English education for vocational colleges remains in the early stages. This study investigates the factors affecting VR adoption and examines whether gender difference among students impacts its practical application. Quantitative research method was conducted utilizing questionnaire to examine the factors affecting vocational students’ VR adoption in their English learning. Total 520 vocational students were selected as respondents to complete the questionnaire, and the data were analyzed using descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation) and inferential statistics (independent sample t-test) to identify the differences between gender. The findings revealed that identified factors moderately influence VR adoption and no significant gender differences regarding the challenges vocational students face when using VR to learn. This study contributes to promoting VR adoption in English learning and helps to stimulate students’ interest in actively using VR, thereby enhancing learning outcomes and driving the transformation of educational methods.

Human-Food Interaction (HFI) research increasingly relies on precise sensory measurement. However, traditional methods often make it difficult to disentangle visual influences from multisensory integration and to reproduce context-rich eating-related conditions under controlled settings. With the emergence of Digital Sensory Science (DSS), Virtual Reality (VR) and Eye Tracking (ET) are increasingly used to study sensory and behavioural responses. Rather than functioning as a substitute for eating, VR can be treated as a perceptual-cognitive simulation tool that allows visual and contextual cues to be manipulated in order to test hypotheses related to attention, expectation, decision-making, and appetite-related processes. This review introduces a theoretical framework grounded in Neurogastronomy and Multisensory Integration. Within this perspective, virtual dining experiences are understood as perceptual simulations that engage cognitive processes relevant to flavour construction. Neurogastronomy proposes that flavour is a "neural image" constructed from multimodal inputs. VR can therefore be used to isolate visual components within this process, helping to examine how "visual flavour" shapes expectation and desire even in the absence of chemical taste. Integrating VR and ET offers a structured methodological approach for investigating visual attention and contextual modulation in food-related research, including questions that are difficult to address using traditional testing alone. Future directions include carefully validated clinical applications, such as cue-exposure paradigms for eating disorders, and the use of VR combined with ET for behavioural theory testing. Although challenges related to standardisation, multisensory limitations, and cybersickness remain, these technologies offer a promising direction for future work on the cognitive reality of eating.

<h2>Abstract</h2><h3>Background</h3> Acute post-tonsillectomy hemorrhage is a rare but potentially life-threatening situation that nurses encounter infrequently. <h3>Methods</h3> A qualitative study was conducted using interviews with seven nurses after exposure to a 360° virtual reality simulation and follow-up interviews after a real hemorrhage. Data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. <h3>Results</h3> Virtual reality was experienced as a safe and realistic learning environment. The simulation supported nurses' pre-understanding and reflection rather than guiding action. Newly employed nurses perceived virtual reality as relevant, while experienced nurses primarily used it for reflection. <h3>Conclusions</h3> Virtual reality was perceived as a relevant supplement for competence development in managing acute post-tonsillectomy hemorrhage.

The evolving impact of virtual reality-based cultural immersion: A longitudinal mixed-methods study on EFL learners' intercultural sensitivity, willingness to communicate, and L2 learning motivation.

Interactive versus passive virtual reality on upper limb pain, function, and range of motion in pediatric thermal burns, a randomized controlled trial.

BackgroundVisual field defect following stroke can severely impair activities of daily living, such as visual exploration, reading, and mobility - significantly reducing quality of life. While neuroplasticity enables partial visual recovery in the first few months after stroke, the potential for recovery diminishes over time. Therefore, timely identification and treatment of visual field defects is critical.ObjectiveThis narrative review explores traditional methods and emerging technologies in visual assessment and rehabilitation. We examine traditional visual field screening methods, including static and kinetic perimetry. We also review current approaches to visual field rehabilitation, which include (1) visual substitution therapy, (2) eye movement-based therapy, and (3) visual restitution therapies such as border-field training, blindsight training, and brain stimulation. To address the limitations of current modalities, we explored technologies like wearable virtual reality headsets.ResultsVisual substitution therapies such as prisms expand the perceived visual field but are limited by adherence and side effects. Eye movement-based training improves scanning efficiency and functional performance. Visual restitution approaches, such as border-field and blindsight training, show inconsistent evidence for visual field restoration. Technologies such as virtual reality may offer more accessible and precise approaches to visual field screening and rehabilitation.ConclusionCurrent rehabilitation strategies show variable effectiveness in restoring visual fields. Further studies are needed to evaluate the effectiveness of virtual reality technologies.

Virtual social interaction reveals that the dorsal habenula-IPN pathway is essential for targeting the opponent.

Visual attention patterns in social anxiety disorder across various socio-evaluative tasks: Findings from a virtual reality eye-tracking study

A comparative study on pedestrian behavior under free choice in virtual reality and real-world settings

Cognitive impairment, a key component of post-intensive care syndrome, is one of the most common complications experienced by survivors discharged from the Intensive Care Unit. Cognitive impairment has become a global public health problem, which imposes a heavy burden on families and society. It is urgent to take measures to curb its occurrence and development. And non-pharmacological interventions for cognitive impairment have a positive effect on it. Therefore, a scoping review exploring the application of non-pharmacological interventions in cognitive impairment after intensive care may contribute to the development of the field of intensive care unit cognitive impairment intervention and provide a theoretical basis for related research. To explore the types, subjects, duration, frequency and cognitive function assessment tools of non-pharmacological interventions for cognitive impairment after intensive care. An electronic search was conducted in PubMed (MEDLINE), CINAHL (EBSCO), Web of Science, SinoMed, Scopus, Embase, the Cochrane Library, Wanfang Database and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) from database inception to April 2025. The included studies discussed the types, study subjects, duration, frequency and assessment tools of non-pharmacological interventions for cognitive impairment after intensive care. This scoping review retrieved a total of 4825 relevant studies from 9 databases. According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, a total of 24 studies were included in the review. The interventions were categorised into seven distinct yet often overlapping themes targeting cognitive impairment after intensive care: comprehensive care, exercise, cognitive training, virtual reality, environmental change, music therapy and ICU outpatient care. The intervention duration ranged from 5 days to 12 months, with frequencies varying from once daily to four times per week. Outcomes were measured using a battery of neurocognitive assessments. Non-pharmacological intervention strategies for cognitive impairment after intensive care are diverse but highly heterogeneous, with a wide target population coverage and a lack of standardised assessment tools. Current research in this area has several limitations, including unclear conceptual frameworks, weak evidence and limited outcome evaluation, with many studies primarily focusing on preventive interventions. In future research, remote project-based scales can be used to simplify assessments, while further improving non-pharmacological interventions for cognitive impairment after intensive care, not only limited to prevention, but also focusing on symptomatic interventions for cognitive impairment after intensive care, providing patients with lifelong care services. The significant burden of cognitive impairment after intensive care mandates its integration into standard post-ICU clinical pathways. This requires clinicians to: (1) implement systematic screening for cognitive deficits during follow-up using brief, validated tools, (2) adopt and tailor evidence-based non-pharmacological interventions, such as cognitive rehabilitation, psychoeducation and graded physical activity, as foundational components of care, and (3) foster interdisciplinary collaboration among ICU, primary care and rehabilitation teams to ensure seamless continuity. These coordinated steps are vital to alleviate the condition's impact on patient quality of life and curtail associated healthcare costs, particularly preventable readmissions.

Augmented reality, virtual reality and gamified learning in early childhood education: A scoping review with a practice-led prototype case

Dual modal data-driven virtual reality-based mild cognitive Impairment assessment using MCIformer.

Loneliness in older adults contributes significantly to poor health outcomes and increased healthcare costs. Despite the growing prevalence of loneliness, many available interventions remain underutilised. To quantify older Australians' preferences for loneliness support programme features, their willingness to pay (WTP) for these features, and examine heterogeneity in preferences based on loneliness severity, socioeconomic, and mobility-related differences. A discrete choice experiment was conducted among 250 adults aged 65 years and older. Participants completed eight choice tasks comparing hypothetical programmes characterised by six attributes. Preferences were analysed using an error-component logit model, and WTP was calculated. Respondents significantly preferred community engagement (WTP = AUD 14.47, p < 0.01) compared to peer support, whereas virtual reality was least preferred (WTP = -AUD 9.58, p = 0.009). Fully virtual programmes were significantly less preferred than in-person options (WTP = -AUD 11.69, p = 0.019), with hybrid methods slightly preferred over fully virtual (WTP = -AUD 7.95, p < 0.01). Weekly interactions were strongly preferred over daily (WTP = AUD 16.93, p < 0.01) and monthly sessions (WTP = AUD 9.21, p = 0.005). Longer sessions (2 hours: WTP = AUD 5.08, p = 0.059; 4 hours: WTP = AUD 5.85, p = 0.037) were preferred over 30-minute sessions, while programmes requiring significant travel (50+ km) or higher costs significantly decreased programme desirability. Findings suggest interventions to reduce loneliness among older adults should prioritise affordable, regular, locally accessible, and community-oriented programmes, tailored specifically according to socioeconomic and mobility-related differences.

Effects of virtual reality training on musical performance-related physiological responses: A mixed-reality physiological study

Clinical efficacy of a non-immersive virtual reality-based balance training device in improving balance and gait in Parkinson's disease; A randomized controlled trial.

Our goal in this study was to determine the efficacy, time course and mechanisms underlying the improvement of stereo vision using 3D virtual reality (VR) games to improve depth perception in adults with a history of abnormal early visual experience due to strabismus, anisometropia and/or amblyopia. Participants engaged in 30 home-based training sessions, supplemented by 5 in-lab assessments to monitor progress. The training protocol utilized a diverse set of VR games targeting stereoacuity, anti-suppression, and binocular alignment. The stereo training games employed various depth cues to facilitate stereo vision recovery. Clinical, psychophysical and virtual reality tests were conducted to evaluate changes in stereoacuity, binocular balance, and interocular alignment. Results revealed significant improvements in stereoacuity for most participants following training, whereas outcomes for binocular balance and ocular alignment were more variable. Together, these findings suggest that VR-based training can reliably enhance stereoacuity in adults with abnormal visual histories, though individual variability highlights the need for personalized approaches and further investigation of underlying mechanisms.

The effectiveness of VR combined with aging simulation training on junior nurses' geriatric care competency: A randomized controlled trial.