Immersive Virtual Reality in Post Stroke

Overview

Physiotherapy intervention programs in the post-stroke patient should develop strategies to assess functional deficit, prevent poorly adaptive plasticity and maximize functional gain. For relearning and functional training, the required activities require motor control and must comply with the following principles: movements close to normal, muscular activation, movement conduction, focused attention, repetition of desired movements, specificity of training, intensity and transfer. These principles underlie the most widely used conventional physiotherapy intervention programs in the hospital setting. Advances in technology have made it possible to start using immersive VR in the therapeutic approach to various pathologies that affect motor function.

Physiotherapy intervention programs in the post-stroke patient should develop strategies to assess functional deficit, prevent poorly adaptive plasticity and maximize functional gain. For relearning and functional training, the required activities require motor control and must comply with the following principles: movements close to normal, muscular activation, movement conduction, focused attention, repetition of desired movements, specificity of training, intensity and transfer. These principles underlie the physiotherapy intervention programs specifically most used in the hospital setting. Main aims 1-To determine if the designed immersive VR training program is better in the short term (15 sessions) and in the medium term (30 sessions) than the conventional physiotherapy training with respect to the change of the parameters related to the static balance in sitting and standing and dynamic balance in post-stroke patients. Secondary aims 2. To determine the efficacy in the short term (15 sessions) and in the medium term (30 sessions) of immersive VR systems compared to conventional physiotherapy procedures regarding the quality of life associated with stroke, the degree of independence and autonomy . 3\. To determine the safety of the application of training programs in immersive VR settings in post-stroke subjects with respect to the number of adverse effects produced. 4\. Determine prognostic factors associated with insufficient improvement (less than moderate change) after stroke treatment with the designed immersive VR program and with conventional physiotherapy treatment.