Effects of fully immersive virtual reality on gait rehabilitation in subacute stroke patients: a randomized controlled trial

Virtual reality (VR) technology has been widely used in post-stroke rehabilitation. However, studies investigating the effectiveness of fully immersive VR technology in gait rehabilitation yielded inconsistent results. This study aims to evaluate the effects of fully immersive VR technology on gait function in the rehabilitation of subacute stroke patients. A total of 40 patients diagnosed with subacute stroke within 2 months of the initial stroke were randomized into two groups, namely the VR group (underwent VR-based training) and the non-VR group (underwent conventional gait rehabilitation training). The timed “Up and Go” (TUG) test, Fugl-Meyer assessment of lower extremity (FMA-LE), modified Barthel index (MBI), and gait spatiotemporal and kinematic parameters measured by a three-dimensional gait analysis system were evaluated at baseline and 3 weeks after the intervention. The results indicated that, in comparison to the non-VR group, the VR group experienced significantly greater improvements in TUG, MBI scores, and cadence on both the affected and unaffected sides (p = 0.050, η2 = 0.100; p = 0.048, η2 = 0.102; p = 0.035, η2 = 0.195; p = 0.038, η2 = 0.188, respectively). Moreover, the majority of gait spatiotemporal and kinematic parameters within the VR group were significantly improved (p < 0.05), whereas only a few gait spatiotemporal and kinematic parameters in the non-VR group showed improvements post-intervention compared with baseline (p < 0.05). This study revealed that fully immersive VR training may be effective in enhancing functional mobility, gait performance, and activities of daily living in subacute stroke patients and may outperform conventional gait rehabilitation training. The effectiveness of fully immersive VR training on the gait function and rehabilitation of stroke patients warrants further research. Trial registration Chinese Clinical Trial Registry ChiCTR1900025375. https://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.html?proj=41913 .