JMIR XR and Spatial Computing (JMXR)

Immersive virtual reality (VR) technology presents digital simulations that create the sense of an actual experience. VR simulations are persuasive enough to elicit physiological reactions that mirror real-world responses. Prior research suggests that fear responses and sensation seeking are inversely correlated, but that work largely relies on self-reported outcomes and hypothetical scenarios.

Stroke is a leading cause of disability, often accompanied by Unilateral Spatial Neglect (USN), which severely impairs recovery. Traditional assessments like paper-pencil tests provide limited insights into behaviors and eye-hand coordination during real-world tasks. Advances in hand pose estimation and eye-tracking in combination with augmented reality (AR) offer potential for data-driven assessments of naturalistic interactions.

Chronic pain management in public health services often struggles with limited engagement, emotional burden, and medication use. XR shows promise in specialized settings, but evidence for co-design and integration into primary care remains limited.

Virtual reality (VR) is showing increasing promises in assessing, understanding and treating mental health difficulties. Virtual humans (VH) are a key aspect within many VR mental health applications. While VHs can play diverse roles and display varied characteristics, their design and influence have rarely been the primary focus of mental health research.

Virtual Reality (VR) is an emerging technology that provides an immersive user experience and has the ability to distract patients from the negative or painful experiences commonly associated with medical procedures. Bone marrow biopsies are medical procedures where a needle is inserted into the bone and a syringe is used to withdraw the liquid bone marrow. They are performed to diagnose and monitor disorders affecting the blood, often as part of care for hematology and oncology patients.

The emergence of next-generation video see-through head-mounted displays (HMDs), such as the Apple Vision Pro (AVP), has generated considerable interest in the medical field. While preliminary studies highlight AVP’s potential, no controlled study has rigorously assessed its usability for precision-based medical tasks requiring fine motor control and real-world perception.

Visuospatial Neglect (VSN) affects spatial awareness, leading to functional and motor challenges. This case study explores virtual reality (VR) as a potential complementary tool for VSN rehabilitation, offering a novel environment that intends to support therapy outcomes. VSN occurs in approximately 30% of stroke survivors, often presenting as inattention to one side of space. While conventional therapies rely on repetitive motor tasks, VR has emerged as a promising alternative for providing engaging tasks during rehabilitation.

While augmented reality (AR) as a concept is not new it is still an emerging technology with a wide range of applications it could provide value for. In the medical field, AR is becoming ever more prevalent but while it has been applied to various medical tasks it is far from commonplace. Radiological imaging has been suggested as one of these applications and the radiology workflow capacity crisis the UK’s National Health Service is experiencing is a potential opportunity for technology to alleviate pressure. Understanding clinical stakeholders and current systems is important for identifying design opportunities for developing AR to enhance interactions and gain more from radiological images.

Dementia is a progressive neurological disorder affecting cognitive and social functioning, posing challenges for patients and caregivers. Traditional medications often have adverse effects, emphasizing the need for non-pharmacological options like Reminiscence Therapy. Virtual Reality has emerged as a promising tool in dementia care, providing immersive experiences that stimulate memory, enhance emotional well-being, and reduce the behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia.

Emergency physicians face significant stress in their daily work, adversely affecting patient care and contributing to physician burnout.

The perception–action cycle enables humans to adapt their behaviors by integrating sensory feedback into motor actions. Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) disrupts this cycle, leading to maladaptive motor responses and a diminished sense of agency. FND includes functional seizures, movement disorders, and cognitive impairments, significantly affecting quality of life. Recent advancements in extended reality (XR) neurotechnologies provide opportunities for novel rehabilitation approaches, leveraging visual and haptic feedback to retrain motor control and restore agency in individuals with functional limb weakness.

Virtual reality (VR) could possibly alleviate complaints related to chronic musculoskeletal pain (CMP), however little is known about how it affects pain-related variables on an individual level and how patients experience this intervention.