Virtual Environment Shows Potential in Stroke Rehabilitation
From: Medscape - 11/17/2006
By: Will Boggs, MD

A virtual environment can safely reproduce potentially dangerous tasks as
part of stroke rehabilitation, according to a report in the November issue of
Stroke (Stroke 2006;37:2770-2775). However, the system needs further work in
order to mimic the real world more closely. 

"The use of virtual technologies may be of benefit to stroke patients and may
be a way forward for the future," Dr. Judi A. Edmans from the University of
Nottingham, UK told Reuters Health. 

In a study involving 50 stroke patients, Dr. Edmans and colleagues evaluated
a virtual environment developed for the rehabilitation of the task of making
a hot drink. 

"The virtual environment was displayed and interacted with using a laptop
computer touch screen and handheld stylus," the investigators explain. The
patients selected and moved images of the required components (such as a
kettle and instant coffee), and were told when each subtask was performed
correctly. 

The virtual environment was feasible for use in the stroke rehabilitation
unit, the authors report, and performance of hot drink-making in the real and
virtual worlds were correlated, albeit not strongly. 

Real world performance was associated with arm function and sequencing
ability, the results indicate, whereas virtual environment was associated
with language function and praxis. Performance scores for both real and
virtual environments correlated with age, Mini-Mental Status Examination
scores, Barthel activities of daily living, and visuospatial perception tests. 

Error patterns during attempts to make a hot drink were not significantly
associated between real world and virtual environments, the researchers note.
That is, the patients made different mistakes when making a real and a
virtual hot drink. 

"Further design work or alternative strategies using different technologies
might improve the similarity between real and virtual tasks," the
investigators suggest. 

"Although further development is needed," they conclude, "our virtual
environment may nevertheless be a valuable rehabilitation tool for some
patients aiming at making a hot drink, because it retains many of the
potential educative benefits of the virtual environment, such as the ability
to practice the task repeatedly and in safety, and encouraging error-free
learning."  

Article from: (Free subscription required)
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/547988

Links:
Journal article:
Validity of a Virtual Environment for Stroke Rehabilitation

Abstract:
http://stroke.ahajournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/37/11/2770

Full text:
http://stroke.ahajournals.org/cgi/content/full/37/11/2770

PDF file:
http://stroke.ahajournals.org/cgi/reprint/37/11/2770

