title: Establishing the reliability and concurrent validity of physical performance tests using virtual reality equipment for community-dwelling healthy elders.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to determine the reliability and concurrent validity of commonly used physical performance tests using the OmniVR Virtual Rehabilitation System for healthy community-dwelling elders.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants (N = 40) were recruited by the authors and were screened for eligibility. The initial method of measurement was randomized to either virtual reality (VR) or clinically based measures (CM). Physical performance tests included the five times sit to stand, Timed Up and Go (TUG), Forward Functional Reach (FFR) and 30-s stand test. A random number generator determined the testing order. The test-re-test reliability for the VR and CM was determined. Furthermore, concurrent validity was determined using a Pearson product moment correlation (Pearson r).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The VR demonstrated excellent reliability for 5 × STS intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) = 0.931(3,1), FFR ICC = 0.846(3,1) and the TUG ICC = 0.944(3,1). The concurrent validity data for the VR and CM (ICC 3, k) were moderate for FFR ICC = 0.682, excellent 5 × STS ICC = 0.889 and excellent for the TUG ICC = 0.878. The concurrent validity of the 30-s stand test was good ICC = 0.735(3,1).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study supports the use of VR equipment for measuring physical performance tests in the clinic for healthy community-dwelling elders.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Virtual reality equipment is not only used to treat balance impairments but it is also used to measure and determine physical impairments through the use of physical performance tests. Virtual reality equipment is a reliable and valid tool for collecting physical performance data for the 5 × STS, FFR, TUG and 30-s stand test for healthy community-dwelling elders.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Therapy, Youngstown State University , Youngstown, OH , USA.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Griswold
authors.forename: Kyle
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Rockwell
authors.forename: Carri
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Killa
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Maurer
authors.forename: Nancy
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Landgraff
authors.forename: Ken
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Learman
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005080:Exercise Test; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D064368:Healthy Volunteers; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D004856:Postural Balance; D011897:Random Allocation; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D063367:Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy / Q000295:instrumentation*
keywords: Older adults; physical performance tests; virtual reality