ABSTRACT
Virtual environments (VEs) have undergone a transition in the past few years that has taken from the realm of expensive toy into that of functional technology. This emerging computerdriven simulation technology appears to be well matched to the assessment and rehabilitation needs of persons with cognitive impairments and functional disabilities due to various forms of central nervous system (CNS) dysfunction. The capacity of VE technology to create dynamic three-dimensional (3-D) stimulus environments, within which all behavioral responding can be recorded and measured, offers clinical assessment and rehabilitation options that are not available using traditional neuropsychological methods. This work has the potential to advance the scientific study of normal cognitive and behavioral processes and to improve our capacity to understand, measure, and treat the impairments typically found in clinical populations with CNS dysfunction. Clinical populations that could benefit from VE approaches include persons with cognitive and functional impairments due to traumatic brain injury (TBI), neurological disorders, learning/developmental disabilities, as well as the elderly. This chapter begins with a brief description of the relevant clinical populations and an introduction to neuropsychological assessment (NA) and cognitive rehabilitation, (CR), with rationales presented for the use of VE for these purposes. The literature on research done thus far in these areas is then reviewed. The final section of this chapter details the basic clinical, human factors, and theoretical issues for the rational and effective targeting, development, and implementation of these applications.
