The Virtual Classroom: A Virtual Reality Environment for the Assessment and Rehabilitation of Attention Deficits

The Virtual Environments Laboratory at the University of Southern California (USC) has initiated a research program aimed at developing virtual reality (VR) technology applications for the study, assessment, and rehabilitation of cognitive/functional processes. This technology is seen to offer many advantages for these aims and an introductory section of this article will discuss the specific rationale for VR applications in the area of clinical neuropsychology. A discussion of attention processes will follow and issues for the development of a head-mounted display (HMD) VR system for the study, assessment, and possible rehabilitation of attention disorders will then be presented. Our efforts to target this cognitive process are supported by the widespread occurrence and relative significance of attention impairments seen in a variety of clinical conditions across the human lifespan. Most notably, attention difficulties are seen in persons with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorders (ADHD), Traumatic B...

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