Virtual Reality Device for Rehabilitation of Stroke Patients

The University of Alabama at Birmingham

Status: Completed

Conditions: Stroke

Treatments: Other: Virtual Reality (VR)

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT04139980

IRB-300003889

Details and patient eligibility

About

This study will evaluate the potential efficacy and safety of using virtual reality gaming in conjunction to standard therapy regimen care as an approach to promote upper-limb motor recovery, cognitive function and quality of life after stroke. The investigators believe that allowing users to interact with a computer-simulated reality environment will result in a pleasant experience, which will likely result in motivation and therapy engagement.

Enrollment: 5 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Patient admitted to the UAB Hospital, older than 18 years old, with a diagnosis of stroke
• Patient with unilateral upper extremity weakness
• Patients that after evaluation by Physical and Occupational professionals were admitted to rehabilitation facility "Spain Rehabilitation Center".

Exclusion criteria

• Patients with severe cognitive impairment
• Patient with orthopedic impairment (i.e. marked arthritis)
• Patient with visual disorders limiting therapy session
• Those for whom voluntary arm movement would cause sufficient discomfort (>4/10) that could prevent trial completion will be excluded from participation.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Supportive Care

Allocation: N/A

Interventional model: Single Group Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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5 participants in 1 patient group

Virtual Reality supported therapy

Experimental group

Description:

The Virtual Reality (VR) interface will be used during patients stay at the rehabilitation center. A research employee will install the VR system in the patient's room. Participants will be comfortable sitting while in VR session. Each interface consists of a head mounted display (HMD) allowing participants to see their arms and legs represented in the virtual environment. Participants will be able to control their virtual legs using hand controllers, which will allow them to "walk" through several virtual environments and gather "points" (no additional gaming elements are included).

Treatment:

Other: Virtual Reality (VR)