International Journal of Advances In Case Reports

TO ASSESS THE EFFECTIVENESS OF COMBINING IMMERSIVE VIRTUAL REALITY WITH CONVENTIONAL PHYSIOTHERAPY IN IMPROVING POSTURAL BALANCE AMONG STROKE SURVIVORS BY ADDRESSING UPPER EXTREMITY IMPAIRMENTS

Logeswari Vinothkumar, Shyam Ramamurthy, Raja Anbarasan, Vijay Karunakaran

logeswarivinothkumar@gmail.com

Clinical Researcher, Rewin Health, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India 2Senior Vice President, Rewin Health, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India 3Head of Clinicals, Rewin Health, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. 4CEO & Founder of Rewin Health, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India

This case series is done to identify whether addressing upper extremity (UE) impairment using Immersive Virtual Reality (IVR) with conventional therapy can lead to enhancements in postural balance among individuals who have experienced strokes. This case series involved six stroke patients spanning different age groups. The patients received a combination of conventional physiotherapy (PT) and Immersive Virtual Reality (IVR) treatments. Conventional PT sessions lasted one hour per day, five days a week, while IVR sessions were conducted for 30 to 45 minutes, three days a week. Primary outcome assessments included Brunnstrom grading for voluntary control (VC) of the upper extremities (UE), Berg Balance Scale (BBS), and motor components of the Functional Independence Measure (FIM) to evaluate functional independence. The integration of Immersive Virtual Reality (IVR) with traditional Physical Therapy (PT) has shown promising results in enhancing trunk motor recovery, balance, voluntary control of the upper extremities, and functional independence among stroke patients. The study examined factors such as age, time since the stroke occurred, and the number of IVR sessions required for improvement. All age groups responded positively to IVR treatment. A reduced number of IVR sessions was found to be sufficient for improving balance in patients with shorter post-stroke periods. Conversely, a greater number of IVR sessions were necessary to enhance Brunnstrom UE Voluntary Control, regardless of the duration since the stroke. Since this study is a case series, conducting a homogeneity analysis is crucial for interpreting the Functional Independence Measure (FIM). The study concluded that combining Immersive Virtual Reality (IVR) with conventional Physical Therapy (PT) for upper extremities (UE) led to enhancements in trunk control, balance, and functional independence. As a result, IVR stands out as a promising instrument that enhances neuroplasticity, engages patients actively, and facilitates integrated rehabilitation alongside traditional PT in various stages of stroke recovery.