Home-based Virtual Reality Training After Stroke

Summary

Virtual reality (VR) training (VRT) uses computer software to track a user's movements and allow them to interact with a game presented on a TV. It is fun and engaging and may encourage the user to do more exercise. VRT is increasingly being used for rehabilitation after stroke. Patients often require ongoing therapy post-discharge from inpatient rehabilitation. Outpatient therapy may be unavailable due to waiting lists, transportation issues, distance etc.; therefore, home-based VRT may be the answer. Our objectives are to determine: 1) the feasibility of home-based VRT for stroke patients after discharge from hospital-based rehabilitation, and 2) the feasibility of a battery of outcome measures. Forty stroke rehabilitation patients will be recruited over 18 months and randomize them to experimental or control groups. VRT participants will be introduced to VRT at the hospital and a VRT system will be set up in their homes shortly after discharge. Control participants will be provided with games and apps on an iPad focusing on cognition and fine motor skills. Participants will be instructed to perform 30 minutes of VRT 5 days a week for 6 weeks. Training will be monitored remotely. Both groups will receive weekly phone calls to review their home activity and answer questions. Measurements will be made of standing balance and general function before and after training, and feasibility (compliance, enjoyment, safety).

Conditions

• Stroke

Interventions

DEVICE

Virtual reality

Virtual reality training is provided using Jintronix Rehabilitation software. A Kinect camera captures the movements of the participant using infrared technology and allows them to control an avatar, which interacts with an activity. Several games and activities are available to train standing balance (ex. slalom skiing), reaching (ex. planting seeds/harvesting tomatoes), stepping (ex. whack-a-mole), gentle strengthening (ex. knee extensions) and aerobic exercises (ex. marching on the spot). Game and activity difficulty can be increased by requiring more repetitions, or greater speed, distance and/or accuracy. Specific games and activities, and their parameters are customized for each participant. The exercise plan is performed 5 times a week for 6 weeks for 30 minutes at each session.

DEVICE

Control

Participants in the control group are provided with an iPad which contains a selection of apps suited for memory (ex. memory card game), cognition (Sudoku, cross-word), visual tracking (word search) and fine motor skills (ex. writing, whack-a-mole). Participants are instructed to perform their exercise plan 5 times a week for 6 weeks for 30 minutes at each session.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Bruyere Academic Medical Organization

  collaborator UNKNOWN

• Bruyère Health Research Institute.

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Hillel Finestone, MD · Bruyere Continuing Care

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

SINGLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2017-08-16

Primary Completion

2018-11-28

Completion

2018-11-28

Countries

• Canada

Study Locations