Abstract
Acquired brain injury occurs when there is brain damage after birth as a result of some form of trauma to the head. Acquired brain injuries can be traumatic (TBI) or non-traumatic. TBIs can occur as a result of a blow to the head where the brain jolts inside the scull often from violence, motor vehicle accidents, and falls. Non-traumatic brain injury can result from stroke, exposure to toxins, or tumors. Depending on the severity of brain injury individuals may have long lasting effects. Individuals who have experienced a brain injury may experience problems with memory, cognition, ADL function, and may struggle to live independently. The purpose of our critical analysis was to determine the effectiveness of virtual reality on improving cognitive functioning in individuals with acquired brain injury (both traumatic and non-traumatic). The analysis aims to understand if virtual reality could be employed in occupational therapy interventions in the future. The analysis showed significant improvements in attention, memory, working memory, and executive functioning in individuals after participating in virtual reality. Although, virtual reality interventions need further research to provide more consistent research and protocols for the use of virtual reality.