Case study of custom virtual reality system for post stroke rehabilitation

Virtual reality was evaluated as a supplemental technology for treadmill based rehabilitation techniques for stroke victims. Over the course of eight weeks, the participant received treadmill based gait training with the addition of a virtual reality headset with the aim to improve walking. Lateral and anteroposterior pelvic tilt, cadence, and step length were observed using a Qualisys motion capture system. The results show improvement in step length, though results for the other parameters were inconclusive. Though it is difficult to extrapolate these trends to larger populations, this study adds to the body of evidence indicating that virtual reality can increase the efficacy of treadmill based rehabilitation, however further research is still needed.