title: Effects of virtual reality-based rehabilitation on distal upper extremity function and health-related quality of life: a single-blinded, randomized controlled trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Virtual reality (VR)-based rehabilitation has been reported to have beneficial effects on upper extremity function in stroke survivors; however, there is limited information about its effects on distal upper extremity function and health-related quality of life (HRQoL). The purpose of the present study was to examine the effects of VR-based rehabilitation combined with standard occupational therapy on distal upper extremity function and HRQoL, and compare the findings to those of amount-matched conventional rehabilitation in stroke survivors.
  
  
  METHODS
  The present study was a single-blinded, randomized controlled trial. The study included 46 stroke survivors who were randomized to a Smart Glove (SG) group or a conventional intervention (CON) group. In both groups, the interventions were targeted to the distal upper extremity and standard occupational therapy was administered. The primary outcome was the change in the Fugl-Meyer assessment (FM) scores, and the secondary outcomes were the changes in the Jebsen-Taylor hand function test (JTT), Purdue pegboard test, and Stroke Impact Scale (SIS) version 3.0 scores. The outcomes were assessed before the intervention, in the middle of the intervention, immediately after the intervention, and 1 month after the intervention.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The improvements in the FM (FM-total, FM-prox, and FM-dist), JTT (JTT-total and JTT-gross), and SIS (composite and overall SIS, SIS-social participation, and SIS-mobility) scores were significantly greater in the SG group than in the CON group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  VR-based rehabilitation combined with standard occupational therapy might be more effective than amount-matched conventional rehabilitation for improving distal upper extremity function and HRQoL.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  This study is registered under the title "Effects of Novel Game Rehabilitation System on Upper Extremity Function of Patients With Stroke" and can be located in https://clinicaltrials.gov with the study identifier NCT02029651 .
authors.affiliation: National Rehabilitation Center, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Seoul, Korea. asfreelyas@gmail.com.|Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, National Rehabilitation Center, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Samgaksan-ro 58, Gangbuk-gu, Seoul, 142-884, Korea. asfreelyas@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Joon-Ho
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.affiliation: National Rehabilitation Center, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Seoul, Korea. ocielo@hanmail.net.
authors.forename: Mi-Young
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: National Rehabilitation Center, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Seoul, Korea. wldud3575@hanmail.net.
authors.forename: Ji-Yeong
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: National Rehabilitation Center, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Seoul, Korea. eie0305@naver.com.
authors.forename: Yu-Jin
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Jeon
authors.affiliation: Department of Law, Hanyang University, Seoul, Korea. law30803@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Suyoung
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Neofect, Yong-in, Korea. sb.lee@neofect.com.
authors.forename: Soobin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: School of Games, Hongik University, Seoul, Korea. bseo@hongik.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Beomjoo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Seo
authors.affiliation: Neofect, Yong-in, Korea. younggch@dankook.ac.kr.|Department of Applied Computer Engineering, Dankook University, Yong-in, Korea. younggch@dankook.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Younggeun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Choi
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000465:Algorithms; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009788:Occupational Therapy; D011788:Quality of Life; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D000071939:Stroke Rehabilitation; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D034941:Upper Extremity / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014584:User-Computer Interface; D018910:Video Games