Virtual Reality News and Research

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Nintendo Wii may help treat symptoms of Parkinson's disease

Parkinson's disease is a degenerative disease that impairs motor skills. Dr. Herz theorized that the popular computer game console, which simulates various sports and activities, could improve coordination, reflexes and other movement-related skills, but he found additional benefits as well.

12 Jun 2009

Repeated VR distraction reduces pain perception

Distraction through virtual-reality technology was found to reduce pain perceptions after repeated exposures in a University of Maryland study published in The Journal of Pain.

21 Apr 2009

Augmented reality improves training for keyhole surgery

Researcher Sanne Botden has improved the training methods for surgeons who perform keyhole operations. At present, a relatively large number of errors are made during surgery of this kind. She defends her doctoral dissertation at Delft University of Technology in The Netherlands on Wednesday, 1 April.

31 Mar 2009

Researchers show how the hippocampus records memory

It may be possible to "read" a person's memories just by looking at brain activity, according to research carried out by Wellcome Trust scientists.

12 Mar 2009

Cracking the spatial memory code

Researchers have shown that they can tell where a person is "standing" within a virtual reality room on the basis of the pattern of activity in the brain alone.

12 Mar 2009

New NYP course: Surgical approaches to the skull base

The skull base is not just a simple platform for the brain but an anatomically intricate area with an array of connections necessary to the body's essential functions.

8 Mar 2009

Robotic therapy may reduce stroke physical disability years later

Robot-assisted therapy may help stroke patients attain gains in their physical abilities long after the stroke, according to research presented at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference 2009.

20 Feb 2009

Cell phones dangerous for child pedestrians

Children who talk on cell phones while crossing streets are at a higher risk for injuries or death in a pedestrian accident, said psychologists at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) in a new study that will appear in the February issue of Pediatrics.

27 Jan 2009

Use of robot and VR system improves walking post-stroke

Patients who've had a stroke and were rehabilitated using a robot to navigate virtual reality environments walked faster and a greater distance following physical therapy compared to those trained with the robot alone, according to researchers at the UMDNJ-School of Health Related Professions.

9 Jan 2009

Sun and surf among top summer hazards for Australians

An Australian expert has warned that among the top ten hazards for people in Australia this summer the beach culture plays a big role.

6 Jan 2009

System to recognize human gestures

A system that can recognize human gestures could provide a new way for people with physical disabilities to interact with computers.

18 Dec 2008

Scientists produce illusion of body-swapping

Cognitive neuroscientists at the Swedish medical university Karolinska Institutet (KI) have succeeded in making subjects perceive the bodies of mannequins and other people as their own.

3 Dec 2008

New colorectal module from Simbionix advances laparoscopic cancer treatment

Simbionix USA Corp, an international company using leading edge simulation to advance clinical performance, announces the world-wide release of a breakthrough training simulation of the laparoscopic colorectal procedure.

26 Nov 2008

$2 million computer will help unravel major medical ailments

A federal grant will allow Johns Hopkins researchers to purchase a powerful $2 million computer that will speed up their efforts to find new ways to diagnose and treat brain disease, heart illnesses, cancer and other medical ailments.

16 Jul 2008

Men and women react differently to temptation

Temptation may be everywhere, but it's how the different sexes react to flirtation that determines the effect it will have on their relationships. In a new study, psychologists determined men tend to look at their partners in a more negative light after meeting a single, attractive woman. On the other hand, women are likelier to work to strengthen their current relationships after meeting an available, attractive man.

15 Jul 2008