Highlighting hybridization: a case report of virtual reality-augmented interventions to improve chronic post-stroke recovery

Abstract

Rationale:Cerebrovascular accident, or stroke, is a leading cause of serious long-term disability, and incidence is expected to continue rising in the coming years. Stroke-related disability can manifest as motor, sensory, or cognitive impairment, and although current therapies can improve these impairments, many stroke patients are still left with reduced abilities and struggle to maintain independence in their daily lives. Virtual reality (VR) has been proposed as a novel therapeutic tool to treat stroke-related disability, particularly in conjunction with traditional post-stroke therapies.Patient concerns:Here, we report 1 case of a 75-year-old male with ongoing right upper extremity impairment.Diagnosis:The patient was previously diagnosed with an ischemic stroke.Interventions:Seven years post-stroke, during which he did not receive any therapies, and on the recommendation of his neurologist, the patient sought VR therapy as an innovative treatment strategy. His clinicians employed a combination of traditional exercise and VR therapy to improve his strength and mobility.Outcomes:The combination of traditional and VR therapy was able to provide meaningful improvement to his daily quality of life, even years after the stroke.Conclusions:These results suggest that combination therapy with VR is a viable tool for treating post-stroke impairment, even several years on from the cerebrovascular accident.

Early Rehabilitation and Nursing Intervention (ERNI) Accelerates the Recovery of Patients With Ischemic Stroke

“…26 Although current therapies can improve these impairments, many stroke patients are still left with reduced abilities and struggle to maintain independence in their daily lives. 27 In the current study, we observed that ERNI can improve the daily living ability of patients following ischemic stroke.…”

Balancing new technology: Virtual reality for balance measurement case report

“…While the current data surrounding VR-based therapies and rehabilitation remains controversial, there is mounting evidence to support combining conventional based-treatments with VR-augmented therapies improve patient outcomes. [17,[25][26][27][28] However, the fact that VR platforms can provide treatment without leaving the comfort of your home a major advantage in providing medical care to patients in more remote, less accessible areas of the world and takes the concept of telehealth to the next level. Given that falls are a major leading cause of unintentional injury deaths globally, particularly in individual ≥60 years of age, there is a large area of unmet need VRSway technology may be able to fulfill as both a potential VR-based balance therapy or a preventative medical application.…”

“…Relatedly, VR systems are under investigation for management of anxiety and pain for patients undergoing certain medical treatments [9–14] and for stroke rehabilitation therapy. [15–17] Similarly, and in relation to the current case study, VR has been successfully utilized for gait and balance training/rehabilitation. [18,19] Tri-axial accelerometers are a key feature of VR hardware, which has been previously used to analyze, monitor and affect postural stability.…”

Building digital patient pathways for the management and treatment of multiple sclerosis

“…Researchers describe this integration of telehealth interventions into standard care as "hybrid telehealth model" (35)(36)(37) or, in general, speak of "hybrid models" (38,39) or "hybridization" (40). Phrasing it this way highlights the fact that physical face-to-face interaction neither is nor will be entirely be replaced by digital means.…”