The Integration of Electroencephalography and Virtual Reality for Rehabilitation: A Perspective Review of Successes and Pitfalls

The combination of neurotechnology and advanced digital environments has opened promising opportunities in rehabilitation. Integrating electroencephalography (EEG) with virtual reality (VR) offers a novel approach to remedy by combining real-time neural monitoring with immersive, interactive environments. This perspective review examines the successes and pitfalls associated with EEG-VR applications in rehabilitation, highlighting how these modern technologies can enhance patient outcomes. The other part of this review identifies current challenges that delay the widespread clinical adoption of this technology combination. Methods: A comprehensive literature review was conducted across PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases from their inception to February 2025. We identified the studies investigating the combined use of EEG and VR in rehabilitation and reviewed them using the SANRA method. Each study was then evaluated based on its methodology, patient demographics, technological integration strategies, therapeutic outcomes, and reported limitations. Results: Out of 105 articles, 65 remained after filtering. 11 articles were included to our analysis after the title screening, as well as abstract and full-text reviews. The review identified growing evidence supporting the efficacy of EEG-VR systems in motor recovery, cognitive function, and neurofeedback training across various patient populations. We found EEG-VR therapy successes in enhanced user engagement and the ability to adapt rehabilitation protocols based on real-time neural data. On the other hand, the analysis also has shown pitfalls, including technical challenges such as signal interference, synchronization issues between EEG and VR platforms, and a lack of standardized protocols, limiting outcomes' scalability and consistency. Conclusions: The integration of EEG and VR is an emerging area in rehabilitation, offering innovative approaches for personalized and adaptive therapy. Despite encouraging preliminary results, current technological and methodological hurdles need further investigation. Future research should focus on optimizing system integration, standardizing intervention protocols, and conducting large-scale clinical trials to investigate thoroughly the usage of EEG-VR systems in rehabilitation.