Virtual Reality-A Supplement to Posturography or a Novel Balance Assessment Tool?

Area of Science:

• Medical Technology
• Biomechanics
• Human-Computer Interaction

Background:

• Virtual reality (VR) is increasingly utilized in medicine, with head-mounted displays (HMDs) enhancing accessibility.
• Applications of VR in balance and posture evaluation remain underexplored, with limited literature on its use in posturography.
• This review addresses the scarcity of comprehensive research on immersive VR for posturographic measurements.

Approach:

• A systematic literature search was conducted on PubMed and Scopus databases.
• Keywords used included "virtual reality" and "posturography," adhering to PRISMA guidelines.
• A total of 21 studies were included after screening and citation searching.

Key Points:

• Virtual reality (VR) is frequently employed as supplementary visual stimuli in static and dynamic posturography.
• Only one study investigated a head-mounted display (HMD) VR environment as an independent method for posture assessment.
• The majority of current research integrates VR into existing posturography frameworks rather than using it as a standalone solution.

Conclusions:

• Immersive VR delivered via HMDs shows promise for posturography, but its role is currently limited.
• Further investigation is needed to establish HMD-based VR as a viable, independent alternative to traditional posturography methods.
• Future research should focus on developing and validating standalone VR systems for comprehensive posture and balance assessment.