| 1 |
Comparing the effects of rehabilitation using the Nintendo Wii® to those of conventional therapy in order to improve the sensorimotor function and QoL of hemiplegic patients after a stroke. |
Quality of Life: SF-36. |
Two weekly sessions of 60 minutes each, for two months. |
Both treatments improved the motor function in passive movements, pain, UL movement, balance and overall score. |
| Motor function: Fugl-Meyer. |
CG: CSPT |
Both groups improved their QoL in the domains of functional capacity, vitality, physical and emotional aspects. The IG group improved their QoL in the mental health domain. |
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IG: Nintendo Wii®
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The IG group had a greater improvement in the functional capacity domain than the CG. |
| 2 |
Investigate the effects of VR training using an Xbox® with the Kinect in the UL function, including movement amplitude, motor function and manual dexterity in hemiplegic patients after a stroke. |
Motor function: Fugl-Meyer. |
Three weekly sessions of 30 minutes each, for six weeks. |
Both treatments improved motor function, dexterity and movement amplitude. |
| Manual dexterity: Box and Blocks Test. |
CG: COT |
The IG showed a significant improvement in movement amplitude of UL for flexion, extension, shoulder abduction and elbow flexion. |
| Movement amplitude: goniometry. |
IG: Xbox® with a Kinect + COT |
The results of motor function and dexterity were also significantly better in the IG. |
| 3 |
Comparing the immediate effect of training with a VR game in stroke patients, according to the side of the brain lesion. |
Movement amplitude: cinematic activity evaluation of drinking a glass of water. |
Two 45 second series with a 15-minute resting time between them, one session. |
After training, the two groups of patients and of healthy individuals improved their performance in the game. |
| Performance in the game |
CG1: right upper limb healthy |
Patients with brain lesions on the right side (left hemiplegia) improved their shoulder flexion and elbow extension angles and did not show differences when compared with healthy individuals. |
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CG2: left upper limb healthy |
The group of patients with a brain lesion on the left side improved their movement amplitude but remained different from the healthy individuals. |
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IG1: brain lesion on the left |
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GI2: brain lesion on the right |
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| 4 |
Investigating the effects of the VR in the balance training using balance boards in chronic stroke patients. |
Static balance: posturography |
Three weekly sessions of 30 minutes each, for six weeks. |
There was no static balance change in either group. |
| Dynamic balance: Berg Balance Scale and Timed Up and Go Test |
CG: SR |
Both groups improved their dynamic balance. |
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IG: Wii Fit + SR |
The dynamic balance of the IG group improved more than that of the CG. |
| 5 |
Determining whether transcranial direct-current stimulation (tDCS), combined with VR, is better than a rehabilitation using the Wii alone to improve the upper limb function and QoL in stroke patients |
Motor function: Fugl-Meyer and Wolf Motor Function Test |
VR: Three weekly sessions of 30 minutes each, for five weeks. |
Both groups showed a significant improvement in all outcomes evaluated (motor function, spasticity, grip force and QoL), except in the upper limb domain of the QoL scale (SSQOL-UL). |
| Spasticity: Modified Ashworth Scale |
tDCS: Three weekly sessions of 13 minutes each, for five weeks. |
There was a difference between the groups only in what concerns fist spasticity, in which more than 50% IG participants met a minimal clinically important difference. |
| Grip force: Saehan manual dynamometer |
CG: VR with Wii Fit + tDCS placebo |
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| QoL: SSQOL |
IG: VR with Wii Fit + tDCS |
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| 6 |
Determining whether there were changes in the physical function and in daily living activities when part of the standard physical therapy treatment was replaced by virtual reality games for stroke survivors in the community. |
Physical function: Timed Up and Go; 30 second sitting test; 10-minute walking test; six-minute walking test |
Two weekly sessions of 120 minutes each, for six weeks. |
Both groups improved their physical function (Timed Up and Go and 30-second sitting and getting up test). |
| DLA: Barthel Scale |
CG: 120 minutes of CSPT |
Other outcomes did not improve (walking test - 10 and 6 minutes; DLA and static balance) in either group. |
| Static balance: Probalance board |
IG: 30 minutes of VR + 90 minutes of CSPT |
There were no significant differences between groups. |
| 7 |
Investigating the efficiency of balance training using the VR in the functional balance and in the disability of hemiplegic individuals, in the sub-acute stage of the stroke. |
Dynamic Balance: Berg Balance Scale |
Three weekly sessions of 40 minutes each, for four weeks. |
Both groups showed improvements in all outcomes (dynamic balance, DLA, walking speed and ability to walk). |
| DLA: Barthel Scale |
CG: 20 minutes of CSPT |
The IG had significant improvements in the dynamic balance, DLA and ability to walk, when compared to the CG. |
| Walking speed: 10-meter walk test |
IG: 20 minutes of VR + 20 minutes of CSPT |
There was no difference in walking speed between the groups. |
| Ability to walk: Functional Ambulation Category |
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| 8 |
Comparing the number of intentional and unintentional upper limb repetitions and evaluating the acceleration of the movement using the accelerometer in individuals with chronic stroke while playing a video game or undergoing traditional therapies. |
Number of repetitions: video recording and observation |
Two weekly sessions of 60 minutes each, for three months. |
The number of intentional repetitions in the IG was five times higher than that of the CG. |
| Acceleration and intensity of upper limb movement: accelerometer placed on the wrist |
CG: COT |
The acceleration of the movement in the IG was double the one in the CG. |
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IG: VR |
Patients with more intentional repetition had more acceleration and movement intensity. |
| 9 |
Investigating the energy expenditure of patients with chronic stroke as they play table tennis and boxing in Wii Sports. |
Energy expenditure: portable gas analyzer to measure oxygen uptake (VO2) (metabolic equivalent) |
One session, 15 minutes for each game, with a 10-minute pause between games. |
The participants of both games reached metabolic values that indicate high energy expenditure (equal or higher to three) when compared to basal assessments, with the exception of one patient in the group who played tennis. |
| No CG. |
There was no difference in the energy expenditure between the groups. |
| Tennis group and boxing group. |
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| 10 |
Evaluating the sensorimotor and QoL recovery after a two-month rehabilitation using Nintendo Wii and determining whether what was learned through the technique is anchored. |
Sensorimotor changes: Fugl-Meyer |
Two weekly sessions of 60 minutes each, for two months. |
The upper limb motor function score, the Fugl-Meyer total score and the SF-36 questionnaire functional capability domain did not change, indicating that the effects of the two-month therapy with the Nintendo Wii was sustained. |
| QoL: SF-36 |
No CG. |
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IG: 10 minutes stretch + 50 minutes VR |
| 11 |
Investigating the effects of a VR program based on the canoeing game for torso posture control, balance and upper limb motor function after a stroke |
Postural control: Trunk Impairment Scale, Functional Reach Test |
Three weekly sessions of 30 minutes each, for four weeks. |
The IG improved postural control and both groups improved functional reach. The IG had higher scores in postural control when compared to the CG. |
| Balance: Berg Balance Scale and Timed Up and Go test |
CG: CRP |
Both groups improved balance, and the IG showed higher balance scores when compared with the CG. |
| Motor Function: Fugl-Meyer. |
IG: CRP + VR |
The functional movement amplitude scores were significantly better in both groups, though the IG had better scores than the CG. |
| 12 |
Investigating the therapeutic effects of VR associated with conventional physical therapy on balance while walking, and on the event of falls in stroke patients. |
Balance while walking: Dynamic Gait Index |
Two weekly sessions of 60 minutes each, for two weeks |
Dynamic Gait Index scores improved in both groups, but only the CG showed a significant difference before and after the treatment. |
| Falls: number of falls (occurrence). |
CG: 60 minutes of CSPT |
The number of falls after intervention diminished, but only in the IG was this difference statistically significant. |
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IG: 10 minutes of CSPT + 45 minutes of VR |
There were no significant differences between groups. |
| 13 |
Investigating the effects of VR on balance training using the Kinect for Xbox games in chronic stroke patients. |
Balance: Berg Balance Scale, Functional Reach Test and Timed Up and Go – cognition |
Two weekly sessions of 90 minutes each, for six weeks |
Both groups significantly improved their balance, the Balance Scale scores and the Timed Up and Go – cognition. The Functional Reach Test scores did not improve. |
