Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 26, 2025
A Rehabilitation Program of Exoskeleton-assisted Body Weight-Supported Treadmill Training with Non-immersive Virtual Reality for Stroke Patients
Published on: May 16, 2025
The Immediate Effects of Different Types of Augmented Feedback on Fast Walking Speed Performance and Intrinsic
Saleh M Alhirsan1,2, Carmen E Capó-Lugo2, Christopher P Hurt2
1Department of Physical Therapy, School of Applied Medical Sciences, Jouf University, Aljouf, Saudi Arabia.
Objective:
To examine the immediate effects of different types of augmented feedback on walking speed and intrinsic motivation post-stroke.
Design:
A within-subjects repeated-measures design.
Setting:
A university rehabilitation center.
Participants:
Eighteen individuals with chronic stroke hemiparesis with a mean age of 55.67±13.63 years and median stroke onset of 36 (24, 81) months (N=18).
Interventions:
Not applicable.
Primary Outcome:
Fast walking speed measured on a robotic treadmill for 13 meters without feedback and 13 meters with augmented feedback on each of the 3 experimental conditions: (1) without virtual reality (VR), (2) with a simple VR interface, and (3) with VR-exergame. Intrinsic motivation was measured using the Intrinsic Motivation Inventory (IMI).
Results:
Although the differences were not statistically significant, fast-walking speed was higher in the augmented feedback without VR (0.86±0.44 m/s); simple VR interface (0.87±0.41 m/s); VR-exergame (0.87±0.44 m/s) conditions than in the fast-walking speed without feedback (0.81±0.40 m/s) condition. The type of feedback had a significant effect on intrinsic motivation (P=.04). The post hoc analysis revealed borderline significance on IMI-interest and enjoyment between the VR-exergame condition and the without-VR condition (P=.091).
Conclusion:
Augmenting feedback affected the intrinsic motivation and enjoyment of adults with stroke asked to walk fast on a robotic treadmill. Additional studies with larger samples are warranted to examine the relations among these aspects of motivation and ambulation training outcomes.
