Restorative Environments for Gait Therapy with VR

Launched by ETH ZURICH · Mar 4, 2024

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial, titled "Restorative Environments for Gait Therapy With VR," is exploring how different virtual landscapes can help older adults improve their walking and balance during therapy sessions. The study aims to find out if seeing calming environments, like urban streets, rural fields, and forests through virtual reality (VR) goggles can reduce stress, enhance focus, and positively affect walking stability. Participants who are over 65 years old, speak German, and are currently receiving gait therapy in a hospital setting may be eligible to join the study.

In the trial, some participants will continue with their usual therapy, while others will experience five additional VR sessions over ten days, where they will walk through these virtual landscapes and do balance exercises. Before and after the sessions, their stress levels and walking abilities will be tested to see if the VR experience made a difference. The researchers hope to understand how these virtual settings can support better walking stability and overall well-being for older adults. It's important to note that individuals with certain health issues, like epilepsy or severe hearing impairments, won't be eligible to participate.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • age: \> 65 years
• • german-speaking
• • ability to give informed consent
• • attends gait safety training (usual care)
• • inpatient for a duration of min. 2 weeks in one of the study sites
• • items 7 - 15 of the De Morton Mobility Index (DEMMI): min. 2 points, max. 9 points
• • 3-minute walking distance: \> 30 m without rest, with or without walking aids, overground walking on flat surface
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • epilepsy
• • Partial weight bearing or conservatively or surgically treated billing with weight bearing as determined by symptoms
• • Severe hearing impairment (if not corrected with hearing aid)
• • Injuries to the eyes, face, or neck that prevent comfortable use of VR glasses.