Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
involving their hips. Synergy, according to the therapist, lost some of its control over the
patients' motor acts during the clinical trial, and they were able to transfer these skills into
the natural environment. Patient MR4, the third patient whose data was not presented here,
had a smoother transition of her leg from the gas pedal to the brake during driving. This
skill was similar to the movement of the leg during the painting exercise on the VR therapy.
The therapy program induced increased brain activity; hence her increased reflex movement
in the limb, as sensory activity from the brain was now more specific. She effectively
transferred this skill to the real world condition. The transfer-of-skill analysis observed in
this study supported the argument (Wilson, Foreman & Tlauka, 1996) that skills gained in
virtual environments transfer to real-world conditions.
11. Conclusion
Results show that all the patients improved on their range of motion in the ankle joint due to
the use of the virtual environment intervention program. These results buttressed the
literature (Liepert et al., 2000; Merians et al., 2002; Taub, Uswatte & Pidikiti, 1999) that
supported the usefulness of virtual reality technology in therapeutic rehabilitation. The
transfer-of-skill analysis supported the argument that skills gained in virtual environments
transfer to real-world conditions.
It is interesting that patient (EO2) with the highest improvement on the computer task was
not the one with the highest improvement in the clinical measurement. Patient LP3, with the
highest clinical gains had to struggle more than the other patients to complete the VR task.
Patient EO2 was completing the exercise faster than LP3. This means that patient LP3 spent
more time exercising his hemiplegic leg on the intervention program than the others who
were completing the task faster than him, hence his high clinical improvements. This result
suggests that the more difficult the virtual environment task is, the more beneficial it will be
to therapeutic rehabilitation.
The results obtained from this research study have confirmed the usefulness of virtual
environment technology in rehabilitation medicine, especially its efficacy in therapeutic
intervention directed towards functional recovery or improvements of the lower extremities
in post-acute stroke patients. It has also buttressed the argument that skills gained in the
virtual environment transfer to real-world conditions. These results may be of particular
benefit to professionals in the fields of physical therapy, physiology, sport physicians, and
those involved in the study of human movement, who would want to train their clients to
learn motor acts in a spatial environment for subsequent performance in the real world. The
study has contributed to the current effort to provide wider access to therapeutic
intervention technique using computer technology and should an asset to professionals in
the field of physical therapy, physiology, bio-engineering, and all those involved in the
study of human movement.
According to O'Sullivan (2001) the most pressing deficiency in rehabilitation feedback
literature is the lack of controlled studies involving patients. She observed that most of the
works so far have been based on normal subjects or small sample patients. Future research
effort could be conducted that employ 'pure' statistical research methods using control and
experimental groups with more research participants (like 40 patients) using the virtual
environment. This design might likely appeal to the quantitative analysts.
Researchers are currently looking into the subject of what has been termed as Virtual Cocoon, a
technology that aims to add the sense of smell into virtual environments. The quest continues.
