Article

OBJECTIVE: To compare the
performance of reaching for stationary and moving targets in virtual reality (VR)
and physical reality in persons with Parkinson's disease (PD). DESIGN: A
repeated-measures design in which all participants reached in physical reality
and VR under 5 conditions: 1 stationary ball condition and 4 conditions with the
ball moving at different speeds. SETTING: University research laboratory.
PARTICIPANTS: Persons with idiopathic PD (n=29) and age-matched controls (n=25).
INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Success rates and
kinematics of arm movement (movement time, amplitude of peak velocity, and
percentage of movement time for acceleration phase). RESULTS: In both VR and
physical reality, the PD group had longer movement time (P<.001) and lower peak
velocity (P<.001) than the controls when reaching for stationary balls. When
moving targets were provided, the PD group improved more than the controls did in
movement time (P<.001) and peak velocity (P<.001), and reached a performance
level similar to that of the controls. Except for the fastest moving ball
condition (0.5-s target viewing time), which elicited worse performance in VR
than in physical reality, most cueing conditions in VR elicited performance
generally similar to those in physical reality. CONCLUSIONS: Although slower than
the controls when reaching for stationary balls, persons with PD increased
movement speed in response to fast moving balls in both VR and physical reality.
This suggests that with an appropriate choice of cueing speed, VR is a promising
tool for providing visual motion stimuli to improve movement speed in persons
with PD. More research on the long-term effect of this type of VR training
program is needed.
CI - Copyright (c) 2011 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by
Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Langue : ANGLAIS