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Brain & Heart VR for TBI memory and eye fixation recovery

connect to the USB port of the laptop. The HTC Vive Pro
Eye headset contained built-in headphones as well as an
adjustable head strap and knob to tighten the headset. The
headset also included a head strap.
Once the equipment was connected, the participants
were sitting in a chair with the controller in their dominant
hand, and the headset was adjusted to fit over their heads
like a ski mask by the VR technician. The headset gently
sat on their forehead, nose, and the strap on the upper
back of their head. The headset covered their eyes, and
the headphones attached to the headset covered their ears.
The technician then began to load the software SteamVR
to make sure the base, headset, and controller which
were turned on and connected. Once the equipment was
connected, the technician started the screen recording for
data collection and then began each scenario.
2.7. Data collection
Data collection included screen recordings of each
session and note taking by the VR technician on
qualitative observations. Participants completed an
objective prospective memory test before starting and
6 weeks later after VR participation. Participants were
asked to inform the researcher if they were left or right-
handed after 5 min had passed. Successful completion of
the test was determined by whether they remembered
what to tell the researcher within the specified timeframe.
In addition, participants completed a subjective
memory test, Prospective and Retrospective Memory
Questionnaire (PRMQ). 26,27 This is a self-report severity
measure of prospective and retrospective memory
challenges in everyday life. Participants responded to this
Likert scale with response options ranging from 1 – 5,
with 1 indicating “never” and 5 indicating “very often.”
Item scores were summed to obtain a total final score,

Figure 2. Participant flow. The study began with 14 participants recruited, with higher scores indicating severe prospective memory
but three chose not to participate due to distance from the study location challenges. The data collection for the eye-tracking
or scheduling conflicts. Eleven participants continued on in the study. Six scenario involved screen recordings of the eye-tracking
of the 11 participants were randomly assigned to the intervention group, scenario sessions.
and five were assigned to the delayed intervention group.
2.8. Outcome analysis
2.6. Procedures: the intervention groups Data analysis for the memory outcome focused on
comparing differences at the 6-week post-survey data
The VR equipment included the use of a gaming laptop, collection time period between the intervention and
an HTC Vive Pro Eye headset with a controller, and a delayed-intervention groups. This allowed a comparison
sensor to track visual, audio, and body movements. An of the VR to the memory game since the delayed-
extendable stand was screwed onto the sensor, and a intervention group had only participated in the memory
power cord was connected to the back of it. A USB hub game at that time. For the memory survey data, bivariate
was needed to connect the headset’s HDMI cord, and on statistical analyses were conducted. Since the objective
the other end of it; there are three different ports. These memory test was a nominal variable, a non-parametric
three ports consisted of a power cord to charge the port, sign test was conducted on the intervention and delayed-
a cord to connect to the laptop, and another USB cable to intervention group responses to assess group differences in

Volume 2 Issue 2 (2024) 6 doi: 10.36922/bh.2685