Virtual Reality Technologies for Dynamic Balance Rehabilitation in People with Stroke

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PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT This project aims to quantify and establish elements of immersive virtual reality (VR) software that, when paired with treadmill training, produce balance perturbations that can be scaled to improve dynamic balance and are tolerated by people with stroke. VR continues to be used as an interactive and engaging way for clinicians to interact with patients during physical therapy, increasing effort given by patients and reducing costs of equipment. There lacks, however, a proven immersive VR system that works for dynamic balance rehabilitation protocols for neurological patients, such as those with stroke, to improve balance during walking. Improvements in dynamic balance would lead to a decreased risk of falls, increased mobility, and would ultimately improve quality of life for patients. In addition, a VR system that can be used on a treadmill to train balance would fill an unmet clinical need for task-specific therapeutic interventions to reduce the risk of falls in people with stroke. Kobuk Technologies has developed an alpha version of such a system and will work together with Dr. Schmit at Marquette University to advance development of the system so that it can be tested in people with stroke. A feasibility study will then be conducted in people with stroke to ascertain how the system challenges balance by encouraging users to reach for targets in the VR environment while stepping on a treadmill. Information from this study will then be used to build a beta version of the VR system for efficacy testing. Aim I of the proposed research in this STTR Phase I will focus on quantifying balance responses to reaching in an immersive VR environment on a treadmill, as these data are required scaling difficulty of the VR reaching tasks. Aim II will characterize the coupling of treadmill speed and reach in a VR environment since individual walking speeds for such a system will be necessary. Aim III will determine the length of time that people with stroke tolerate an immersive VR environment during treadmill stepping. This research is critical to the development of a VR treadmill training system for the rehabilitation of balance. The project will yield a VR system that can then be used in an STTR Phase II efficacy trial to demonstrate improvements in gait function in neurologic patients. Ultimately, Kobuk Technologies will create a new low cost tool for clinicians to use with their patients during treadmill training that will substantially enhance the effectiveness of gait rehabilitation.