Virtual Reality Intervention for Stroke Rehabilitation
Trial Snapshot
- Phase
- Not Applicable
- Status
- Completed
- Sponsor
- Sheba Medical Center
- Enrollment
- 47
- Primary Endpoint
- Physical activity of the lower and upper extremities
Study Overview
Brief Summary
In Israel approximately 16,000 people have a stroke each year. Most of these people suffer from weakness or paralysis of half of their body which leads to difficulties performing basic activities of daily life (BADL) such as dressing and walking. Due to the stroke, these individuals need to undergo intensive rehabilitation. After rehabilitation, physical activity has been strongly recommended to maintain their functional level which was achieved during rehabilitation. In addition regular physical activity can prevent secondary condition However, recent findings suggest that people with stroke do not perform enough physical activity with their upper and lower extremities.
The use of Virtual Reality (VR) for rehabilitation has been found to have potential for encouraging active purposeful movement. Many researchers have assessed the feasibility & usability of different VR systems and environments for individuals with stroke. Costly VR systems in addition to off-the-shelf video game consoles (e.g. Sony PlayStation EyeToy, Nintendo Wii) have been found to have great potential to encourage active purposeful movement. However, to date, only a limited number of studies have investigated the effectiveness of VR therapy post-stroke.
Since physical activity is important after stroke and the fact that individuals with stroke are not participating sufficiently in physical activity, I suggest to carry out this study.
The overall aim of this study is to assess the effectiveness of using novel technology of VR therapy to promote the participation in daily physical activity of individuals with stroke. A 'Community based' VR program will be compared to a traditional therapy program in promoting daily physical activity of the lower and upper extremities.
It is hypothesized that the VR intervention will be more efficient than the traditional therapy in promoting physical activity (walking and use of the weak upper extremity).
Detailed Description
In Israel there are approximately 16,000 new cases of stroke per year and recently stroke has been recognized by the Israeli health-care policy planners as a top priority disease. Individuals who have sustained a stroke constitute a large population with significant needs for rehabilitation. The most common symptom following stroke is paresis or paralysis to half of the body, contralateral to the side of brain lesion. These individuals experience difficulties performing basic activities of daily life (BADL) such as dressing and walking, in addition to instrumental activities of daily life (IADL) such as shopping and cooking.
Physical activity has been strongly recommended for these individuals to maintain their functional level which was achieved during rehabilitation. In addition regular physical activity can prevent secondary conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, obesity and decreases the risk of a recurrent stroke. Reduced physical activity can also lead to disuse atrophy and cardiovascular de-conditioning, which can result in deterioration of the person's physical condition. However, recent findings suggest that people with stroke do not perform enough physical activity with their upper and lower extremities.
The use of Virtual Reality (VR) for rehabilitation has been found to have potential for encouraging active purposeful movement. Many researchers have assessed the feasibility & usability of different VR systems and environments for individuals with stroke. Costly VR systems in addition to off-the-shelf video game consoles (e.g. Sony PlayStation EyeToy, Nintendo Wii) have been found to have great potential to encourage active purposeful movement. However, to date, only a limited number of studies have investigated the effectiveness of VR therapy post-stroke.
Since physical activity has been recognized to be a main factor in facilitating recovery post stroke and an important factor in preventing a recurrent stroke and due to the fact that individuals with stroke are not participating sufficiently in physical activity. Their physical and functional ability may deteriorate leading to expensive hospitalization and devastating outcomes, therefore, I suggest to carry out this study.
STUDY OBJECTIVES:
Study Design
- Study Type
- Interventional
- Allocation
- Randomized
- Intervention Model
- Parallel
- Primary Purpose
- Treatment
- Masking
- Single (Outcomes Assessor)
Eligibility Criteria
- Ages
- 18 Years to 80 Years (Adult, Older Adult)
- Sex
- All
- Accepts Healthy Volunteers
- No
Inclusion Criteria
- •Individuals who have sustained a stroke at least 6 months prior to the study.
- •Are living in the community.
- •Are not receiving rehabilitation treatments.
- •Are experiencing difficulty using their legs and/or arms
- •Are able to walk 10 meters (with or without assistance)
- •Able to understand and follow simple instructions and to sign the informed consent form (assessed using MMSE score < 20/30 points).
- •Are willing to commit to attend two treatment sessions per week for 3 months.
Exclusion Criteria
- •Have suffered in the past from epilepsy seizures
- •Have a neurological or orthopedic condition other than stroke that prevented independence in walking and BADL prior the stroke.
- •Have uncontrolled high blood pressure or unstable cardio-vascular condition (according to a letter from the family doctor).
- •Have vision deficits that cannot be corrected with glasses
Outcomes
Primary Outcomes
Physical activity of the lower and upper extremities
Time Frame: 6 months
Physical activity of the lower and upper extremities will be measured using accelerometers to quantify the amount of hand usage, the number of steps taken per day and energy expenditure.
Secondary Outcomes
- The Executive Functions Route Finding Test (EFRT)(6 months)
- The Action Research Arm Test (ARAT)(6 months)
- The Box and Blocks test(6 months)
- Timed get up & Go Test(6 months)
- The 10-meter walk test (10MWT)(6 months)
- Walking while Talking (WWT)(6 months)
- The Fugl-Meyer Motor Assessment (FMA) (upper extremity subtest)(6 months)
Investigators
Dr. Harold Weingarden MD
Director of Day Rehabilitation Unit
Sheba Medical Center