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Psychological Benefits of Virtual Reality for Patients in Rehabilitation Therapy

2009; Human Kinetics; Volume: 18; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1123/jsr.18.2.258

1543-3072

Chih‐Hung Chen, Ming‐Chang Jeng, Chin‐Ping Fung, Ji‐Liang Doong, Tien‐Yow Chuang,

Stroke Rehabilitation and Recovery

Context: Whether virtual rehabilitation is beneficial has not been determined. Objective: To investigate the psychological benefits of virtual reality in rehabilitation. Design: An experimental group underwent therapy with a virtual-reality-based exercise bike, and a control group underwent the therapy without virtual-reality equipment. Setting: Hospital laboratory. Patients: 30 patients suffering from spinal-cord injury. Intervention: A designed rehabilitation therapy. Main Outcome Measures: Endurance, Borg's rating-of-perceived-exertion scale, the Activation–Deactivation Adjective Check List (AD-ACL), and the Simulator Sickness Questionnaire. Results: The differences between the experimental and control groups were significant for AD-ACL calmness and tension. Conclusion: A virtual-reality-based rehabilitation program can ease patients' tension and induce calm.