TY - JOUR PY - 2020// TI - Effects of virtual reality versus conventional balance training on balance and falls in people with multiple sclerosis: a randomized controlled trial JO - Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitation A1 - Molhemi, Farshad A1 - Monjezi, Saeideh A1 - Mehravar, Mohammad A1 - Shaterzadeh-Yazdi, Mohammad-Jafar A1 - Salehi, Reza A1 - Hesam, Saeed A1 - Mohammadianinejad, Ehsan SP - ePub EP - ePub VL - ePub IS - ePub N2 - OBJECTIVE: To assess the efficacy of Virtual Reality (VR)-based versus conventional balance training on the improvement of balance and reduction of falls in people with multiple sclerosis (PwMS). DESIGN: Single-blinded, randomized, controlled trial. SETTING: Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation Research Center, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences. PARTICIPANTS: Thirty-nine PwMS, randomized into VR (n=19) and control (n=20) groups. INTERVENTION: The VR group performed exergames using Kinect® while control group accomplished conventional balance exercises. Both groups received 18 training sessions for 6 weeks. OUTCOME MEASURES: Limits of stability(LOS), Timed Up-and-Go(TUG) and 10-Meter-Walk tests with and without cognitive task and their dual-task costs(DTC), Berg Balance Scale, Multiple Sclerosis Walking Scale-12, Fall Efficacy Scale-international, Activities-specific Balance Confidence scale, and fall history were obtained pre- and post-intervention, and after a three-month follow-up. RESULTS: At both post-intervention and follow-up, TUG cognitive and DTC on the TUG were significantly lower and the 10-Meter-Walkcognitive was significantly higher in the VR group. At follow-up, reaction time and the number of falls demonstrated significant differences favoring the VR group, whereas the directional control revealed significant difference in favor of the control group(p<0.05). The other outcomes showed no statistically significant difference neither at post-intervention nor at follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Both the VR-based and conventional balance exercises improved balance and mobility in PwMS, while each acted better in improving certain aspects. VR-based training was more efficacious in enhancing cognitive-motor function, and reducing falls, whereas conventional exercises led to better directional control. Further studies are needed to confirm the effectiveness of recruiting VR-based exercises in clinical settings.

Language: en

LA - en SN - 0003-9993 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.apmr.2020.09.395 ID - ref1 ER -