Influence of virtual reality soccer game on walking performance in robotic assisted gait training for children.
BACKGROUND
Virtual reality (VR) offers powerful therapy options within a functional, purposeful and motivating context. Several studies have shown that patients' motivation plays a crucial role in determining therapy outcome. However, few studies have demonstrated the potential of VR in pediatric rehabilitation. Therefore, we developed a VR-based soccer scenario, which provided interactive elements to engage patients during robotic assisted treadmill training (RAGT). The aim of this study was to compare the immediate effect of different supportive conditions (VR versus non-VR conditions) on motor output in patients and healthy control children during training with the driven gait orthosis Lokomat*.


METHODS
A total of 18 children (ten patients with different neurological gait disorders, eight healthy controls) took part in this study. They were instructed to walk on the Lokomat in four different, randomly-presented conditions: (1) walk normally without supporting assistance, (2) with therapists' instructions to promote active participation, (3) with VR as a motivating tool to walk actively and (4) with the VR tool combined with therapists' instructions. The Lokomat gait orthosis is equipped with sensors at hip and knee joint to measure man-machine interaction forces. Additionally, subjects' acceptance of the RAGT with VR was assessed using a questionnaire.


RESULTS
The mixed ANOVA revealed significant main effects for the factor CONDITIONS (p < 0.001) and a significant interaction CONDITIONS x GROUP (p = 0.01). Tests of between-subjects effects showed no significant main effect for the GROUP (p = 0.592). Active participation in patients and control children increased significantly when supported and motivated either by therapists' instructions or by a VR scenario compared with the baseline measurement "normal walking" (p < 0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
The VR scenario used here induces an immediate effect on motor output to a similar degree as the effect resulting from verbal instructions by the therapists. Further research needs to focus on the implementation of interactive design elements, which keep motivation high across and beyond RAGT sessions, especially in pediatric rehabilitation.
Brütsch
Karin
K
Institute of Psychology, Division Neuropsychology, University of Zurich, Switzerland. k.bruetsch@psychologie.uzh.ch
Schuler
Tabea
T
Koenig
Alexander
A
Zimmerli
Lukas
L
-Koeneke
Susan Mérillat
SM
Lünenburger
Lars
L
Riener
Robert
R
Jäncke
Lutz
L
Meyer-Heim
Andreas
A
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D005081:Exercise Therapy / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D020233:Gait Disorders, Neurologic / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012371:Robotics / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D012916:Soccer; D014584:User-Computer Interface; D016138:Walking / Q000502:physiology*