Integrating collaborative virtual reality into medical neuroanatomy selectively enhances short‐term spatial understanding of brain structure

Abstract

Learning neuroanatomy presents a major challenge for medical students due to the brain's high spatial complexity and the limitations of traditional two‐dimensional instruction methods. Virtual reality (VR) provides immersive three‐dimensional visualization which may enhance spatial understanding, yet its effectiveness when implemented collaboratively (i.e., in groups) within a formal medical curriculum remains insufficiently explored. Here, we evaluate the educational value of integrating a mandatory, group‐based VR laboratory using photogrammetry‐derived brain models into a medical neuroanatomy course. One hundred and eighty‐three medical students completed either a standard neuroanatomy course ( n  = 98; control group), or the same course with the addition of a 1‐h collaborative VR session focusing on the cerebral hemispheres ( n  = 85, VR group). Neuroanatomy knowledge was assessed immediately after course completion and again 6 months later, using exams that included both theoretical and spatially demanding questions across three anatomical topics. Learning experience and self‐study behavior were also evaluated. Immediately after course completion, the VR group demonstrated significantly improved performance on spatially demanding questions related to hemispheric topography, the topic studied in VR. At 6‐month follow‐up, overall performance declined similarly across groups, with no evidence of enhanced long‐term retention. These findings demonstrate that a curricular implementation of a relatively modest collaborative VR intervention (a single 1‐h session) is associated with selective short‐term performance gains in spatial understanding of human brain structure.