Investigation of the Effects of Virtual Reality Exercises Combined With Robot-assisted Walking Training on Individuals With Subacute Stroke on Cognitive Functions, Activities of Daily Living and Quality of Life.

According to the definition of the World Health Organization, stroke is a clinical syndrome characterized by the rapid establishment of signs and symptoms of focal loss of cerebral function for no apparent reason other than vascular causes. Symptoms last longer than twenty-four hours or may result in death. Stroke is the second leading cause of death in the world and the first cause of disability and loss of work force. Many stroke survivors are dependent on someone else for some part of their daily lives, have limitations in their daily and social activities, and have significantly lost their quality of life. Cognitive disorders after stroke are manifested by difficulties in information processing due to brain damage. The most common cognitive effects in stroke; attention, memory, orientation, executive dysfunction and aphasia.

For cognitive rehabilitation it is known that Lokomat combined virtual reality applications is more effective than Lokomat exercises without virtual reality in individuals with chronic stroke. Our research aims to contribute to the literature by revealing the cognitive functions, ADL and quality of life of locomotive exercises together with virtual reality in individuals with subacute stroke.

Our research will be carried out in the Robotic Rehabilitation Laboratory of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Hospital in Ankara City Hospital. The population of the study is the stroke clinics of the same hospital. Individuals with subacute stroke who volunteered to participate in the study will be included in the study. All patients will receive conventional physiotherapy five days a week for six weeks, and the study group will receive with Lokomat three times a week in addition to conventional physiotherapy. The patients will be evaluated by a therapist other than the practitioner before and after the treatment in two groups, one of which is the study group and the other is the control group.