An Immersive Virtual Kitchen Training System for People with Multiple Sclerosis: A Development and Validation Study

Area of Science:

• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Virtual Reality Technology
• Neuroscience

Background:

• Virtual reality (VR) offers a controlled environment for repetitive, task-specific rehabilitation.
• Upper-limb dysfunction is a common challenge for people with multiple sclerosis (pwMS).
• Developing engaging and effective VR tools is crucial for improving rehabilitation outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate an immersive VR system simulating kitchen activities for pwMS with upper-limb dysfunction.
• To assess the feasibility, safety, and user satisfaction of the novel VR kitchen training system.
• To lay the groundwork for future randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating VR's efficacy in upper-limb rehabilitation.

Main Methods:

• Development of a novel immersive VR kitchen application with tasks like tidying, meal preparation, and dishwashing.
• An 8-week intervention study involving a small sample of pwMS with upper-limb dysfunction.
• Primary outcome measured using the Suitability Evaluation Questionnaire for VR systems.

Main Results:

• High user satisfaction reported, with scores for enjoyment, comfort, success, control, realism, and ease of use ranging from 4.0 to 4.6.
• Low-to-moderate interference reported for side effects like eye discomfort, dizziness, nausea, and disorientation (scores 1.3-2.8).
• The VR system demonstrated feasibility and safety for upper-limb training in pwMS.

Conclusions:

• The developed VR kitchen training system is a feasible and safe tool for upper-limb rehabilitation in pwMS.
• High user satisfaction suggests potential for engagement and adherence in rehabilitation programs.
• Further RCTs are warranted to compare the VR system's benefits against standard care for improving upper-limb function in pwMS.