Wearable Immersive Virtual Reality Device for Promoting Physical Activity in Parkinson’s Disease Patients

Abstract

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurological disorder that usually appears in the 6th decade of life and affects up to 2% of older people (65 years and older). Its therapeutic management is complex and includes not only pharmacological therapies but also physiotherapy. Exercise therapies have shown good results in disease management in terms of rehabilitation and/or maintenance of physical and functional capacities, which is important in PD. Virtual reality (VR) could promote physical activity in this population. We explore whether a commercial wearable head-mounted display (HMD) and the selected VR exergame could be suitable for people with mild–moderate PD. In all, 32 patients (78.1% men; 71.50 ± 11.80 years) were a part of the study. Outcomes were evaluated using the Simulator Sickness Questionnaire (SSQ), the System Usability Scale (SUS), the Game Experience Questionnaire (GEQ post-game module), an ad hoc satisfaction questionnaire, and perceived effort. A total of 60 sessions were completed safely (without adverse effects (no SSQ symptoms) and with low scores in the negative experiences of the GEQ (0.01–0.09/4)), satisfaction opinions were positive (88% considered the training “good” or “very good”), and the average usability of the wearable HMD was good (75.16/100). Our outcomes support the feasibility of a boxing exergame combined with a wearable commercial HMD as a suitable physical activity for PD and its applicability in different environments due to its safety, usability, low cost, and small size. Future research is needed focusing on postural instability, because it seems to be a symptom that could have an impact on the success of exergaming programs aimed at PD.

Immersive Virtual Reality as a Novel Physical Therapy Approach for Nonagenarians: Usability and Effects on Balance Outcomes of a Game-Based Exercise Program

“…Early insights about IVR have been used to help rehabilitate subjects suffering from stroke and multiple sclerosis [49], cognitive impairment [50], and Parkinson s disease [51]. However, the use of this technology has been limited in fall prevention and our study opens the door to future research in the field of virtual reality in nonagenarians and for other age-related conditions.…”

Realidad virtual inmersiva y ejercicio físico para la rehabilitación de la enfermedad de Parkinson

“…Las investigaciones más recientes han demostrado efectos positivos del tratamiento por RVI en diversos síntomas motores de la EP [20][21][22][23][24][25][26] .…”

“…Principalmente, los estudios han analizado el efecto de la terapia en la marcha 23,25 ; problemas de equilibrio y simetría de la postura 22 ; movilidad del cuerpo 21,24 ; y la manipulación de objetos 20,26 , factores que impactan fuertemente en la calidad de vida de los pacientes (Tabla 1). Para ello, los investigadores han utilizado diversas estrategias, como el diseño de entornos virtuales específicos para la terapia 20,22,24,[26][27][28][29] , el uso de una cinta rodante para promover la rehabilitación motora 23 y por medio de pasillos electrónicos 22,25 .…”

“…Por otro lado, diversos estudios concluyen que la rehabilitación por RVI es generalmente bien recibida por los pacientes, lo que puede promover la motivación y la adhesión al tratamiento a largo plazo 20,21,[26][27][28][29] . Esto está confirmado por la revisión sistemática realizada por Sevcenko y Lindgren (2022) 34 , cuyos resultados sugieren que la RVI puede ser una intervención igual de efectiva al entrenamiento convencional, pero con una experiencia más satisfactoria en comparación al ejercicio convencional.…”

Assessment of the Relevance and Reliability of Reaction Time Tests Performed in Immersive Virtual Reality by Mixed Martial Arts Fighters

“…This newly created technology is increasingly applied in various areas of life, such as industry [5], medicine, rehabilitation and healthcare [6][7][8][9][10][11] or education [12,13]. The potential of this technology has also recently been noticed in the context of health-promoting physical activity [14][15][16][17][18], its application for physical education [19], cognitive functions training [20,21], as well as various applications in sport, among which virtual training and performance analysis are the most frequently quoted [22,23].…”