Immersive VR System for Evaluating the Severity of Object-Centered Neglect Based on Environmental Complexity

Unilateral spatial neglect occurs as a sequela of stroke. In particular, object-centered neglect (OCN) neglects one-half of an object bordering the object's midline. Although the conventional method of assessing OCN has been introduced, there is no technology for assessing OCN in three dimensions. Furthermore, it is not clear whether neglect is affected by the complexity of the surrounding environment. Therefore, this study aims to assess the severity of OCN spatially based on the complexity of the environment. The use of an immersive virtual reality space made it possible to adjust the three-dimensional assessment and complexity of the environment and assess the severity of symptoms at different locations.