Therapeutic Effect of Virtual Reality on Post-Stroke Patients: Randomized Clinical Trial

• Published in: Journal of stroke and cerebrovascular diseases Vol. 26; no. 1; pp. 94 - 100
• Main Authors: Pedreira da Fonseca, Erika, PT, MSc, Ribeiro da Silva, Nildo Manoel, PT, PhD, Pinto, Elen Beatriz, PT, PhD
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.01.2017
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; balance; Cardiovascular; Female; Gait Disorders, Neurologic - etiology; Gait Disorders, Neurologic - rehabilitation; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Neurology; rehabilitation; Statistics, Nonparametric; Stroke; Stroke - complications; Stroke Rehabilitation - methods; Treatment Outcome; virtual reality; Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy - methods; Young Adult; Stroke; virtual reality; rehabilitation; balance
• ISSN: 1052-3057; 1532-8511
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jstrokecerebrovasdis.2016.08.035

Objectives The study aimed to check the therapeutic effect of virtual reality associated with conventional physiotherapy on gait balance and the occurrence of falls after a stroke. Methods This was a randomized, blinded clinical trial conducted with post-stroke patients, randomized into two groups—treatment group and control group—and subjected to balance assessments by the Dynamic Gait Index and investigation of falls before and after 20 intervention sessions. Statistically significant difference was considered at P  < .05. Results We selected 30 patients, but there were three segment losses, resulting in a total of 13 patients in the control group and 14 in the treatment group. There was an improvement in gait balance and reduced occurrence of falls in both groups. After intervention, the differences in gait balance in the control group ( P  = .047) and the reduction in the occurrence of falls in the treatment group ( P  = .049) were significant. However, in intergroup analysis, there was no difference in the two outcomes. Conclusions Therapy with games was a useful tool for gait balance rehabilitation in post-stroke patients, with repercussions on the reduction of falls.