Virtual Reality Movement Therapy for Post-Stroke Upper limb Rehabilitation Trial

Upper limb impairment is common among stroke survivors and has a severe impact on independence in everyday activities. Recent evidence indicates that proper rehabilitation that focuses on high-intensity motivating exercises may drive neural repair and/or restoration. Virtual reality game-based rehabilitation system creates a stimulating and enjoyable task-oriented environment where feedback and exercise intensity can be adjusted to provide individualized rehabilitation programs and improve functional recovery. The aim of this study is to examine the effect of combining both game-based virtual reality movement rehabilitation and conventional rehabilitation on functional activities of the affected upper extremity. 10 stroke patients (sub-acute stage) participated in a 5-week training program (2 days per week). Duration of each session was 60 minutes, the first 30 minutes were dedicated to conventional treatment and the last 30 minutes to the video game play using the Nintendo Wii. Significant improvement in all outcome measures was found after the intervention. Our findings support the clinical effectiveness of game-based virtual reality movement rehabilitation on upper limb functional recovery in sub-acute stroke survivors.