An Immersive Virtual Kitchen Training System for People with Multiple Sclerosis: A Development and Validation Study

Abstract

Rehabilitation via virtual reality (VR) training tools allows repetitive, intensive, and task-specific practice in a controlled and safe environment. Our goal was to develop and validate a novel immersive VR system based on the practice of real-life activities in a kitchen environment in people with multiple sclerosis (pwMS) with upper-limb dysfunction. The novel immersive VR kitchen application includes several tasks, i.e., tidying up the kitchen, preparing a hamburger and soup meal, and dish washing. Following the development phase, the system was tested for an 8-week intervention period on a small sample of pwMS suffering from upper-limb dysfunction. The Suitability Evaluation Questionnaire for VR systems served as the primary outcome. The scores for enjoyment, sense of comfort with the system, feelings of success and control, realism, easy-to-understand instructions, assists in rehabilitation therapy, were between 4.0 and 4.6, indicating a high satisfaction. The scores for eye discomfort, dizziness, nausea, and disorientation during practice were between 2.8 and 1.3, indicating a low-to-moderate interference of the system. The virtual kitchen training system is feasible and safe for upper-limb training in pwMS and paves the way for future RCTs to examine the benefits of the system compared with standard care, thus improving the functionality of the upper limbs in pwMS.

Head-Mounted Displays for Upper Limb Stroke Rehabilitation: A Scoping Review

“…There is a growing interest in the use of IVR training on subjects with neurological disorders, as shown by the recent increase in published studies [34,35,61,62]. Indeed, the use of IVR appears to be a promising clinical tool for the rehabilitation of patients with neurological disability thanks to the high customizability of the virtual environment (e.g., in terms of tasks and contexts) and the greater cognitive stimulation linked to the immersion experienced by the subject.…”

Enhancing the Quality of Life of Patients with Multiple Sclerosis: Promising Results on the Role of Cognitive Tele-Rehabilitation Plus Virtual Reality

“…In fact, the use of multisensory feedback and repeated task execution with sensory stimulation contribute to promoting brain plasticity processes. VR activates mirror neurons and integrates perception, cognition, and action, enhancing the effects of training and the patient's sense of self-efficacy [15].…”

Robotic systems for upper-limb rehabilitation in multiple sclerosis: a SWOT analysis and the synergies with virtual and augmented environments

“…Cost-effective and easy to set up, they can provide useful settings for occupational therapy ( Corrêa et al, 2013 ; Pruszyńska et al, 2022 ; Tada et al, 2022 ). An example is the immersive virtual kitchen game proposed by Pau et al (2023a) where the environment provides several activities of daily living tasks (e.g., tidying up, cooking, washing the dishes, etc. ).…”