title: Using virtual reality to improve walking post-stroke: translation to individuals with diabetes.
abstract: Use of virtual reality (VR) technology to improve walking for people post-stroke has been studied for its clinical application since 2004. The hardware and software used to create these systems has varied but has predominantly been constituted by projected environments with users walking on treadmills. Transfer of training from the virtual environment to real-world walking has modest but positive research support. Translation of the research findings to clinical practice has been hampered by commercial availability and costs of the VR systems. Suggestions for how the work for individuals post-stroke might be applied and adapted for individuals with diabetes and other impaired ambulatory conditions include involvement of the target user groups (both practitioners and clients) early in the design and integration of activity and education into the systems.
authors.affiliation: Research in Virtual Environments and Rehabilitation Sciences Laboratory, Department of Rehabilitation and Movement Sciences, School of Health Related Professions, University of Medicine and Dentistry, New Jersey, Newark, New Jersey 07101, USA. deutsch@umdnj.edu
authors.forename: Judith E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Deutsch
mesh_terms: D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D003198:Computer Simulation; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000628:therapy*; D015444:Exercise; D005081:Exercise Therapy; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D020521:Stroke / Q000628:therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014584:User-Computer Interface; D016138:Walking