In a nutshell
This study looked at whether virtual reality exercise helps improve physcial ability in stroke patients.
Some background
Stroke is a leading cause of disability around the world. A stroke occurs when there is a disturbance of blood supply to a part of the brain. This can be caused by a blood clot in the brain (ischemic stroke) or a burst blood vessel (hemorrhagic stroke). Both types of stroke result in a lack of oxygen and food reaching the brain tissue and can cause brain damage.
A major stroke can leave lasting disability such as trouble walking and balancing. Physical therapy is used to help improve mobility. However, traditional physical therapy is generally found to only improve some aspects of movements.
Recently, virtual reality exercises have been used to optimise therapy and patient recovery. These exercises are carried out in a virtual setting such as participating in computer-generated soccer, snowboarding, or bowling programs, or computer games that can used at home on devices such as the Nintendo Wii or Xbox.
Methods & findings
This study compared the impact of virtual reality exercise with conventional physical therapy on stroke survivors suffering from physical disabilies. It carried out an extensive review of past studies to investigate the overall effect virtual reality exercise can have on stroke survivors.
The review included a total of 26 studies. It found that virtual reality therapy significantly improved body function (e.g. ability to walk & balance) when compared to conventional therapy. Virtual reality therapy also significantly improved individuals' level of activity and participation. It also found that virtual reality exercise that can be practiced in rehabilitation centers is just as effective as computer game exercises that can be practiced at home.
The bottom line
The authors concluded that virtual reality exercises for stroke survivors with physical disability helps improve movement and balance when compared to conventional therapy.
The fine print
It is not specified in this study whether time after stroke onset when therapy is started, or, whether severity of stroke effects the beneficial affect of virtual reality therapy.
What’s next?
If you or someone you know has had a stroke, talk to a doctor about virtual reality therapy and how it can improve physical disability.
Published By :
PLOS ONE
Date :
Mar 28, 2014
