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A Randomised Controlled Trial Comparing the Impact of Virtual Reality, Paper and Pencil and Conventional Methods on Stroke Rehabilitation

Not Applicable
Completed
Conditions
Stroke
Interventions
Procedure: Virtual Reality
Procedure: Paper and Pencil
Procedure: Conventional Therapy
Registration Number
NCT02857803
Lead Sponsor
Universidade da Madeira
Brief Summary

Virtual Reality allows the integration of both cognitive and motor rehabilitation in a more ecologically valid context. The purpose of this study is to determine whether this methodology has more impact on stroke rehabilitation than a paper and pencil personalised program and conventional therapy, which is motor-focused.

Detailed Description

Cognitive impairments after stroke are not always given sufficient attention despite its limitations in activities-of-daily- living (ADL's). Current cognitive rehabilitation methods mostly rely on paper-and-pencil tasks targeting isolated domains, which is not consistent with everyday-life. Besides limited ecological-validity, paper-and-pencil tasks are not accessible for most stroke patients whose dominant arm is paretic. Virtual Reality (VR) has shown to be a solution for the development of accessible and ecologically valid systems, but, does it have more impact than a paper and pencil personalised intervention?

Through a participatory design approach, with health professionals, the investigators have developed:

* a motor-accessible and cognitive-personalized VR-based system, where conventional cognitive tasks were operationalized in meaningful simulations of ADL's (Reh@City) and;

* a web tool which generates personalised paper and pencil tasks( Task Generator).

The investigators objective is to have a sample of 60 stroke patients between 40 and 70 years old, randomly allocated in three groups: the experimental group 1 were participants will perform 30 minutes of the VR training with Reh@City; the experimental group 2 were participants will perform 30 minutes of the paper and pencil training with the Task Generator, and the control group were participants will perform 30 minutes of conventional therapy (occupational therapy).

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
COMPLETED
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
42
Inclusion Criteria
  • ischemic stroke with more than 6 months post-stroke
  • cognitive deficit but with enough capacity to understand the task and follow instructions with a minimum score of 11 over 17 in the Token Test (6-item version, Portuguese population)
  • able to read and write
Exclusion Criteria
  • Neglect
  • Severe depressive symptoms as assessed by the Beck Depression Inventory

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
PARALLEL
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
Virtual RealityVirtual RealityThe Virtual Reality group will perform personalised activities of daily living in the context of a simulated city (Reh@City). The interaction with the virtual environment will be through a natural user interface.
Paper and PencilPaper and PencilThe paper and pencil group will perform a set of cognitive paper and pencil tasks personalised to their deficits and generated automatically through a Task Generator.
Conventional TherapyConventional TherapyThe Conventional Therapy group will perform the activities offered by the public health system, which are motor-focused.
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Change from baseline in the Montreal Cognitive AssessmentBaseline, End (4-6 weeks) and 8-weeks follow-up
Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Change from baseline in the Trail Making Test A and BBaseline, End (4-6 weeks) and 8-weeks follow-up
Change from baseline in the Verbal Paired Associates (WMS III)Baseline, End (4-6 weeks) and 8-weeks follow-up
Change from baseline in the Digit Span (WAIS III)Baseline, End (4-6 weeks) and 8-weeks follow-up
Change from baseline in the Symbol Search and Coding (WAIS III)Baseline, End (4-6 weeks) and 8-weeks follow-up

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Serviço de Saúde da Região Autónoma da Madeira

🇵🇹

Funchal, Madeira, Portugal

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