Combining brain-computer interface and virtual reality for rehabilitation in neurological diseases: A narrative review

Background The traditional rehabilitation for neurological diseases lacks the active participation of patients, its process is monotonous and tedious, and the effects need to be improved. Therefore, a new type of rehabilitation technology with more active participation combining brain–computer interface (BCI) with virtual reality (VR) has developed rapidly in recent years and has been used in rehabilitation in neurological diseases. Objectives This narrative review analyzed and characterized the development and application of the new training system (BCI-VR) in rehabilitation of neurological diseases from the perspective of the BCI paradigm, to provide a pathway for future research in this field. Methods The review involved a search of the Web of Science-Science Citation Index/Social Sciences Citation Index and the China National Knowledge Infrastructure databases; 39 papers were selected. Advantages and challenges of BCI-VR – based neurological rehabilitation were analyzed in detail. Results Most BCI-VR studies included could be classified by 3 major BCI paradigms: motor imagery, P300, and steady-state visual-evoked potential. Integrating VR scenes into BCI systems could effectively promote the recovery process from nervous system injuries as compared with traditional methods. Conclusion As compared with rehabilitation based on traditional BCI, rehabilitation based on BCI-VR can provide better feedback information for patients and promote the recovery of brain function. By solving the challenges and continual development, the BCI-VR system can be broadly applied to the clinical treatment of various neurological diseases.