Assessing Virtual Rehabilitation Design with Biophysiological Metrics

Efficacy of virtual rehabilitation applications is typically demonstrated by pre and post comparisons of observable behavioral metrics. These behaviors can be monitored via devices such as trackers or video capture and more traditional error rate metrics. However, monitoring the patient's emotional and cognitive changes during virtual rehabilitation may better guide the rehab process as well as the design of the rehab scenario. We explored the use of biophysiological metrics (EEG, GSR, and Respiration) in the design of a virtual restaurant for the purpose of engaging persons who stutter in verbal interactions during an everyday experience. The EEG results showed that participants experienced higher engagement in the virtual restaurant. Although respiration and GSR metrics differed for each participant, they correlated well with stressors presented in the scenario. The work supports the use of biophysiological measures as an objective means of assessing virtual rehabilitation protocols.