Paired Groups
Treadmill training with virtual reality improves gait, balance and muscle strength in children with cerebral palsy
Cho C, Hwang W, Hwang S & Chung Y
Tohoku Journal of Experimental Medicine 238:3, 213-218 (2016)
Link to abstract: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26947315
Objective: For children with cerebral palsy, does virtual reality (VR) as a distraction/motivator while doing treadmill training (compared to no virtual reality) increase performance?
Process: 18 children with GMFCS levels I – III were randomly assigned to VR or non-VR treadmill training treatment groups. All participants received training for 30 minutes, 3 times weekly for 8 weeks. Jogging program from Nintendo Wii was used for the VR group. Pre- and post-tests included GMFM, Pediatric Balance Scale (PBS), Ten Meter Walk Test (10WT) and Two Minute Walk Test (2MWT). Evaluators were blinded to test condition.
Outcomes: the virtual reality group showed significantly different improvements compare to the non VR group in gait, balance, muscle strength and gross motor function in children with cerebral palsy. There is no evidence of enduring, longer term benefits.