THE EFFECT OF VIRTUAL REALITY APPLICATIONS ON SITTING BALANCE IN HEMIPLEGIA: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED STUDY

THE EFFECT OF VIRTUAL REALITY APPLICATIONS ON SITTING BALANCE IN HEMIPLEGIA: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED STUDY

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of virtual reality application on quality of life and functionality, especially sitting balance, in hemiplegic patients.

This study was planned as a single-blind randomized controlled prospective study. Patients over 18 years of age with a diagnosis of hemiplegia who applied to Gaziosmanpaşa Training and Research Hospital PTR outpatient clinic and were hospitalized in the rehabilitation service and started a rehabilitation program; will be evaluated with Modified Ashworth, Tardiue Scale, Brunstrom assessment, Stroke Specific Quality of Life Scale, Beck Anxiety Scale, Functional Independence Scale, Mini Mental State Test (MMDT), Mini Mental Test for the Uneducated, Postural Assessment Scale in Stroke Patients, Rivermead Motor Assessment Scale, Sitting Function Test, Berg Balance Scale, System Usability Scale before and after the program.

Patients who apply to the rehabilitation program will be randomly selected by closed envelope method. The first group will receive conventional rehabilitation program and home program. Conventional exercises* of the first group will be performed for 30 sessions of 1 hour every day, in addition to this, the patient will be given a home program.

In the second group, conventional exercises will be performed for 30 sessions of 1 hour every day. In addition to conventional exercises, this group will be enrolled in a balance game group using the Becure Balance System application and the WI balance board for 45 minutes 5 sessions a week.The necessary software and equipment for the virtual reality program were donated by Becure GmbH.

Both groups will be reassessed after 30 sessions. The physician performing the evaluation will be completed blindly by physiotherapists who apply the conventional exercises and the virtual reality program.

The study is a single-center clinical study using prospective data. Between 01.05.2024-01.08.2024, 36 patients are planned to be enrolled in the study.

*:Conventional exercise therapy includes range of motion, stretching, strengthening and balance exercises in patients with hemiplegia.

Inclusion Criteria:

• 1. Stable medical condition 2. Over 18 years of age 3. A score of 23 or above on the mini mental state test (MMDT) or the mini mental state test for the untrained (MMDT-E) 4. Within the period of 1-18 months after stroke 5. A score of 3 or 4 on the 3rd item of the Berg Balance Scale (BBS), which evaluates the balance of sitting without support (3= can sit for 2 minutes under supervision, 4= can sit safely for 2 minutes).

Exclusion Criteria:

• 1. Previous history of stroke 2. Aphasic patients in whom information exchange is not possible 3. Patients with impaired vision, hearing and vestibular system 4. Musculoskeletal and nervous system disorders other than stroke that may cause physical disability 5. Patients with a history of epilepsy 6. Cerebrovascular attack involving more than one hemisphere 7. Presence of cerebellar lesions or impaired cerebellar tests