Adapted Virtual Reality Exergaming Using Off-the-Shelf Supplies for Poststroke Hemiparetic Arm Rehabilitation: Case...

Area of Science:

• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Neuroscience
• Human-Computer Interaction

Background:

• Virtual reality (VR) offers potential for supplementary exercise therapy in post-stroke upper-arm hemiparesis.
• Current VR treatments are often limited by specialized, costly equipment, impacting accessibility and widespread use.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the feasibility of using a commercially available VR bundle to enhance hemiparetic arm function.
• To evaluate functional improvements before and after a VR exergaming program in a single stroke survivor.

Main Methods:

• A 72-year-old male chronic stroke participant engaged in a 20-day VR exergaming program (1 hour/day) using a Meta Quest 2 headset and adaptive WalkinVR software.
• Upper-arm function was assessed preintervention, midintervention, and postintervention using the Wolf Motor Function Test (WMFT) and DASH questionnaire.
• Data were analyzed descriptively.

Main Results:

• Significant improvements were observed in WMFT task completion time (78% improvement) and functional ability scores (23% improvement) from preintervention to postintervention.
• Average range of motion across all joints increased by 35.64% postintervention.
• The Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (DASH) questionnaire showed minimal changes.

Conclusions:

• VR exergaming with adaptive software presents a user-friendly method for enhancing hemiparetic arm function in stroke survivors.
• Observed improvements suggest potential clinical significance, though further validation through rigorous study designs is recommended.