Dataset Information

Balance in Virtual Reality: Effect of Age and Bilateral Vestibular Loss.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND:Quantitative balance measurement is used in clinical practice to prevent falls. The conditions of the test were limited to eyes open, eyes closed, and sway-referenced vision. We developed a new visual perturbation to challenge balance using virtual reality (VR), measuring postural stability by a Wii Balance Board (WBB). METHODS:In this study, we recorded balance performance of 116 healthy subjects and of 10 bilateral vestibular loss patients using VR to assess the effect of age and the effect of total loss of vestibular function. We used several conditions: eyes open (normal visual inputs), eyes closed (no visual inputs), stable visual world (vision referenced), and perturbed visual world (visual perturbation) at different amplitudes of perturbation. Balance under these visual conditions was assessed on the WBB (stable support surface) and on the WBB plus foam rubber (unstable support surface). RESULTS:In healthy subjects, we found that the percentage of falls increased with age and with the amplitude of perturbation for both conditions: WBB or WBB?+?foam. Moreover, we can define a threshold for falls in each age group as the amplitude of perturbation which induced falls. For bilateral vestibular loss patients, on the WBB?+?foam, all of them failed with eyes closed and with perturbed visual world even at the minimal amplitude of perturbation. Finally, we observed that stable visual world induced fewer falls than eyes closed whatever the subject's group (healthy or bilateral vestibular loss) and whatever the age decade. CONCLUSION:VR allowed us to develop a useful new tool with a wide range of visual perturbations. Rather than only two levels of visual condition (eyes open and eyes closed), the VR stimulus can be continuously adjusted to produce a visual perturbation powerful enough to induce falls even in young healthy subjects and which has allowed us to determine a threshold for falls.

SUBMITTER: Chiarovano E

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5247457 | biostudies-literature | 2017

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Balance in Virtual Reality: Effect of Age and Bilateral Vestibular Loss.

Chiarovano Elodie E Wang Wei W Rogers Stephen J SJ MacDougall Hamish G HG Curthoys Ian S IS de Waele Catherine C

Frontiers in neurology 20170120

<h4>Background</h4>Quantitative balance measurement is used in clinical practice to prevent falls. The conditions of the test were limited to eyes open, eyes closed, and sway-referenced vision. We developed a new visual perturbation to challenge balance using virtual reality (VR), measuring postural stability by a Wii Balance Board (WBB).<h4>Methods</h4>In this study, we recorded balance performance of 116 healthy subjects and of 10 bilateral vestibular loss patients using VR to assess the effec ...[more]

PMID: 28163693

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Project description:BackgroundBalance disorders are common in patients with neurological or vestibular diseases. Telerehabilitation program is a treatment to be as safe as conventional treatment. One of the most used methods to perform telerehabilitation is the incorporation of Virtual Reality. In general, rehabilitation programs train predictive postural control, so the patient does not always acquire the necessary autonomy to react to situations of instability. On the other hand, the objective and systematic supervision and measurement of these programs is limited, making it necessary to create clinical protocols with precise and measurable rehabilitation objectives. This study present the training selection methodology and clinical protocol for patients with balance disorders inserted in a Telerehabilitation Program based on Virtual Reality.MethodsDescriptive study where physiotherapists were trained to use RehaMetrics®. To evaluate their level of agreement in the selection of the exercise clusters developed, the Interobserver Reliability was measured through the kappa statistic. Subsequently, the exercises were applied to a group of patients recruited with sedentary trunk control (Berg Balance Scale = 3 points in item 3), mild or normal cognitive level (Montreal Cognitive Assessment> 21 points), and prescribed for tele-rehabilitation by a doctor.ResultsThe agreement among the expert physiotherapists irrespective of the cluster exceeds 80%, which indicates a very good strength of agreement, while the novices reached a level of agreement of 45%, which suggests a moderate strength of agreement. All clinical outcomes showed statistically significant differences between the median times, as did the Maximum Width Left Side (MWLS) (cm). The average number of minutes of training was 485.81 (SD 246.49 min), and the number of sessions performed during the 4 weeks of intervention was 17 (SD 7.15 sessions).ConclusionsThis analysis what had excellent interobserver reliability with trained physiotherapists. Regarding the second phase of the study, the results show a statistically significant difference between the initial and final evaluation of the clinical tests, which could result in better performance in aspects such as: balance, gait functionality, meter walked and cognition. Telerehabilitation Program based on Virtual Reality is an excellent alternative to provide continuity of treatment to patients with balance disorders.

Dataset Information

Balance in Virtual Reality: Effect of Age and Bilateral Vestibular Loss.

Publications

Balance in Virtual Reality: Effect of Age and Bilateral Vestibular Loss.

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