ABSTRACT NUMBER: ESOC2026A1946 VIRTUAL REALITY APPLIED TO POST-STROKE REHABILITATION: DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE NEUROREHAB VR SOFTWARE

Abstract Background and aims To describe the design and development of NeuroRehab VR, a fully immersive, specific and gamified virtual reality (VR) software aimed at improving the quality of life and reducing disability in post-stroke patients. Methods The project was structured into three phases (preproduction, production, and postproduction) following SCRUM methodology. Periodic focus groups and testing sessions were conducted every one to two months with patients in the subacute phase of stroke. During the preproduction phase, core design concepts were defined, establishing three virtual environments (home, nature, and science fiction) and five types of activities targeting upper limb rehabilitation: fine motor skills, gross motor skills, balance, rhythmic movements, and movement speed. Personalization features and adaptive progression elements were also incorporated. Results NeuroRehab VR integrates fully immersive virtual reality, advanced hand tracking technology, and adaptive gamification systems that automatically adjust task difficulty based on patient performance. During the production phase, these components were consolidated into a functional prototype. In the postproduction phase, minor technical issues and usability aspects were refined to improve activity responsiveness and optimize user experience for both patients and clinicians. Conclusions NeuroRehab VR is a promising tool for integration into post-stroke rehabilitation programs and is currently being evaluated in a clinical trial. In addition, this public–private, multidisciplinary collaboration model has proven to be an effective framework for developing technologically driven solutions applicable to clinical rehabilitation settings. Conflict of interest Dr. Laura Amaya Pascasio will deliver the oral presentation of this work.