Mixed Reality-Based Smart Occupational Therapy Personalized Protocol for Cerebellar Ataxic Patients

Michela Franzò ¹, Franco Marinozzi ², Alessia Finti ²

⁰Department of Medico-Surgical Sciences and Biotechnologies, Sapienza University of Rome, 00196 Rome, Italy.

Brain Sciences +

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October 25, 2024

View abstract on PubMed

Summary

This study introduces Hybrid Smart Rehabilitation (HSR) using mixed reality (MR) for ataxic patients, offering a novel approach to occupational therapy. The system demonstrated potential in assessing patient progress through quantitative variables, improving rehabilitation outcomes.

Area Of Science

Rehabilitation Medicine
Human-Computer Interaction
Biomedical Engineering

Background

Occupational therapy (OT) is crucial for patient care, particularly for ataxic patients, but traditional methods lack virtual reality integration guidelines.
Current OT procedures for ataxia are efficient but could be enhanced with technology.

Purpose Of The Study

To propose Hybrid Smart Rehabilitation (HSR) using mixed reality (MR) to overcome limitations of traditional OT for ataxic patients.
To evaluate the effectiveness of MR-HSR in assessing patient performance and aiding rehabilitation.

Main Methods

Developed MR-HSR in Unity with Holographic Remoting for real-time intervention.
Collected hand trajectory data from eight ataxic patients and eight healthy subjects performing a reaching and grabbing task.
Analyzed new performance variables and administered the Trust in Automation questionnaire.

Main Results

Patients expressed trust in the MR-HSR system and its potential for rehabilitation.
Statistically significant differences were observed in 'total time' and 'sway area' of hand trajectories.
A classifier was developed using trajectory variables, indicating potential for objective assessment.

Conclusions

Patient-specific MR-HSR serves as an integrative tool for assessing ataxic patients' conditions.
New quantitative variables analyzed by MR-HSR can be combined with the Scale for the Assessment and Rating of Ataxia (SARA).
This approach could form the basis of a new index for evaluating ataxia progression.

Keywords:

ataxia mixed reality neurorehabilitation occupational therapy