Cognitive Therapy encompasses activities and exercises designed to improve mental abilities and brain function. In Neurorehabilitation it aims to support patients in regaining cognitive functions lost due to Brain Injury , stroke, or neurodegenerative diseases.
Cognitive training targets specific cognitive deficits and contributes to the restoration of abilities such as memory, attention, and executive functions.
Memory training: Exercises to improve short-term and long-term memory. These include, for example, memorizing lists and sequences or retrieving information from stories or pictures.
Attention and concentration: Tasks that require sustained concentration, such as tracking moving objects, responding to specific stimuli, or blocking out distractions.
Problem-solving and logical thinking: Challenges that promote logical thinking and reasoning skills, such as puzzles, strategy games, and scenario-based tasks.
Executive functions: Activities that improve skills such as planning, organization, and multitasking. These include, for example, managing schedules, setting goals, and prioritizing tasks.
Processing speed: Tasks that promote fast thinking and rapid information processing, such as timed exercises or reaction time tests.
Games and puzzles, or traditional games like chess, Sudoku, crossword puzzles and jigsaw puzzles, are effective forms of cognitive training and can easily be integrated into everyday life.
During inpatient Rehabilitation cognitive training is led by a neuropsychologist who tailors the training sessions to the individual's specific impairment profile and daily living needs. The therapy interventions are personalized to train cognitive functions and the use of assistive devices necessary for returning home and, if applicable, reintegration into the workforce.
Cognitive training encompasses both traditional pen-and-paper exercises and computer-based programs. Applied, personalized exercises for training cognitive skills required for using tools and software programs in professional life (e.g., working with Excel spreadsheets) are an integral part of neuropsychological Rehabilitation . Thanks to technological innovations, it is now possible to transfer cognitive training programs into virtual 3D spaces and enrich cognitive Rehabilitation through serious games in immersive virtual reality environments.
At cereneo our goal is to integrate the latest technologies into our therapies and to collaborate closely with researchers. MindFocus is the VR training program developed by Cereneo MindMaze, a world-leading provider of digital neurotherapy, is used at cereneo . It was specifically developed for patients with attention and executive function disorders, cognitive processes required to focus his mindAmong other skills, VR training can complement traditional therapy methods and optimize Rehabilitation . MindFocus is unique because it was developed by neuropsychologists, experts in cognitive diagnostics and Rehabilitation , and their clinical expertise contributes to the individual adaptation of interventions to the needs of patients [1].
MindFocus creates an immersive experience by placing users in digital 3D environments. This immersive aspect, along with AI-powered difficulty adjustment, has a very positive impact on motivation. The idea behind immersive cognitive Rehabilitation in 3D using VR is to stimulate distributed neural networks and thus promote rehabilitative neuromodulation. The cognitive training exercises are tailored to the individual patient's level of impairment and become more complex and challenging as their Progress . Additionally, patients receive feedback on their performance and Progress over time after each activity and training session, which strengthens awareness and increases motivation.
Patients at cereneo are among the first to benefit from the cognitive advantages and increased motivation offered by MindFocus training. We are currently conducting a clinical trial investigating the effectiveness of MindFocus treatment in patients with subacute Stroke . Our neuropsychologists at cereneo work closely with neuroscientists LLUI, The University Hospital Zurich (USZ) And Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV)By participating in this study, they contribute to the scientific evaluation of its effect on cognitive Rehabilitation .
[1] Pestiaux, D., Zeugin, N., Farron, N. et al. Improvement of cognitive Neurorehabilitation of attention through playful exercises in immersive virtual reality: a preliminary study. European Congress of Neurorehabilitation , Lyon, 2023.
