In the US, stroke is the number five cause of death and a leading cause of disability. Many people who have had a stroke experience hemiparesis – reduced muscle strength on one side of the body – and often compensate by relying more heavily on their healthy limb. Prolonged periods of not using the affected limb can lead to further impairment, but now, researchers say virtual reality could help some stroke patients regain the use of their arm.
The researchers – led by Belén Rubio, of the Laboratory of Synthetic, Perceptive, Emotive and Cognitive Systems at Universitat Pompeu Fabra in Spain – publish their clinical pilot study in the Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation.
They note that “learned non-use” of a limb is common in stroke patients and is linked to reduced quality of life.
“There is a need for designing new rehabilitation strategies that promote the use of the affected limb in performing daily activities,” says Rubio. “Often we neglect the remarkable contribution of the patient’s emotional and psychological states to recover, and this included their confidence.”
To increase patient confidence in using their paralyzed arm, Rubio and colleagues conducted a small pilot study with 20 hemiparetic stroke patients.
Continue —> Can virtual reality help stroke patients recover arm movement? – Medical News Today.
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