Visual tracking of a moving target in 360-degree virtual reality: Analysis of the effects on attention and mood

Abstract The training of attentional capacities is an important part of many rehabilitative efforts, for example, in the treatment of stroke. Considerable research is currently focusing on virtual reality applications. The Helix-Arena is an innovative training device, which enables a multimodal training in to a 360-degree virtual environment. A pursuit training that is suited for rehabilitation purposes was developed for the Helix-Arena. This study evaluates the effectiveness of the pursuit training in the Helix-Arena in 34 healthy participants. The experimental group (EG, N=19) participated in four training sessions in the Helix-Arena over a period of two weeks, the control group (CG, N=15) completed similar training sessions in a non-VR environment on a PC. During each training session, changes in attention (Test of Attentional Performance battery, TAP) and general mood (Positive and Negative Affect Schedule, PANAS) were assessed pre and post training. In the EG compared to the CG, a significantly higher pre to post improvement was observed for the TAP subtest attention shift as well as for the positive subscale of the PANAS. These results suggest advantages of the virtual reality environment for attentional and affective processes. The VR training can thus improve not only cognitive abilities but also training motivation. In a next step, the training can be used with patients in a rehabilitation context.