Clinical Feasibility & Validation of the Virtual Reality GlenxRose Speech-Language Therapies

Summary

Factors related to successful rehabilitation are often directly related to adherence; for instance, dosage, frequency, and intensity can burden the patient regarding time and motivational factors. Furthermore, surrounding salience, patients may lose interest or find an intervention boring after a few sessions. It is well documented that nonadherence not only impacts rehabilitation for the patient but can also further prolong treatment, and increase hospital and clinician costs, in addition to a higher prevalence of future comorbidities. Therefore, strategies that improve patient adherence can significantly help optimize patient care and treatment outcomes.

One avenue to increase patient adherence is through the gamification of rehabilitation therapies using virtual reality (VR). Gamification of rehabilitation therapy can make mass practice required in rehabilitation therapies seemingly fun and more personally engaging for the patient. Additionally, the immersive experience achieved through VR can further promote salience and be customizable to individual patient requirements. As VR systems are now highly portable and relatively simple to utilize, they can provide an excellent opportunity to continue rehabilitation practice on the home front. Overall, the VR gamification of rehabilitation may increase adherence by shifting patients' perspectives of therapy as tedious, boring, or a hassle, to a fun and engaging game that ultimately helps their recovery processes.

The GlenXRose VR-delivered speech-language therapies (Cognitive Projections Lab, University of Alberta) have been developed and piloted in collaboration with the Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital with the overall goal of increasing patient adherence, treatment outcomes, and satisfaction with vocal therapy. The proposed studies are to investigate the feasibility of implementing this technology in routine clinical care (specific to voice disorders), obtaining clinician feedback, examining associated financial costs, and continuing to examine the effect of the GlenXRose VR speech-language therapies on patient adherence and clinical outcomes, compared to traditional clinical care.

Conditions

• Vocal Cord Dysfunction
• Speech Disorders

Interventions

DEVICE

GlenXRose Virtual Reality Speech Therapies

Speech therapies for vocal cord disorders have been developed for virtual reality implementation. These include various games to interact with in a virtual environment while conducting rehabilitation therapy, in addition to educational visualizations

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Alberta Health services

  collaborator OTHER

• University of Alberta

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Adriana Rios Rincon, PhD, R.OT · University of Alberta

• Antonio Miguel Cruz, DrSc · University of Alberta

• James Raso, MASc · Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital, Alberta Health Services

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

SINGLE

Model

SEQUENTIAL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2023-09-20

Primary Completion

2026-06-30

Completion

2026-06-30

Countries

• Canada

Study Locations