Stroke Affected Lower Limbs Rehabilitation Combining Virtual Reality With Tactile Feedback

Area of Science:

• Neurorehabilitation
• Robotics in Medicine
• Virtual Reality Applications

Background:

• Stroke is a leading cause of long-term disability, particularly affecting lower limb function.
• Current rehabilitation methods in the acute phase have limitations in maximizing motor recovery.
• The integration of advanced technologies like VR and robotics offers potential for enhanced therapeutic outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of a novel adjuvant therapy combining virtual reality (VR) and robotics for post-stroke lower limb motor restoration.
• To assess the impact of this VR-robotics intervention on mobility, motor function, and balance in acute stroke patients.
• To compare the outcomes of the experimental VR-robotics group with a control group receiving standard rehabilitation.

Main Methods:

• The study involved 62 patients in the acute phase post-stroke, divided into control (N=27) and experimental (N=35) groups.
• The experimental group received 10 daily 15-minute sessions of VR-robotics therapy with visual and tactile biofeedback.
• Standard rehabilitation was provided to the control group. Outcome measures included Rivermead Mobility Index, Fugl-Meyer Assessment Lower Extremities, and Berg Balance Scale.

Main Results:

• The experimental group showed significantly greater improvements compared to the control group in all assessed measures.
• Rivermead Mobility Index: 2.51 ± 0.31 vs. 1.56 ± 0.29 (p=0.0286).
• Fugl-Meyer Assessment Lower Extremities: 6.29 ± 1.20 vs. 2.15 ± 0.84 (p=0.0127).
• Berg Balance Scale: 13.49 ± 2.26 vs. 6.19 ± 1.36 (p=0.0163).

Conclusions:

• The combination of VR and robotics, utilizing implicit interaction and sensory feedback, significantly enhances lower limb motor function recovery post-stroke.
• This method is simple, intuitive, safe, and suitable for early-stage stroke rehabilitation, even in patients with diaschisis and aphasia.
• The VR-robotics approach demonstrates superior efficacy compared to standard rehabilitation therapy in restoring motor function.