Computer-based physical therapy: A case study on four post-acute stroke patients

Abstract

This research investigates the outcome of using a computer-based therapy program in ambulatory training for post-acute stroke patients. Patients with stroke typically suffer dysfunctions that impair the complex set of motions involved in walking. The limited amount of therapy and resources offered by the current health care system do not provide the frequency and intensity of training needed for functional recovery of the walking skills in patients following stroke assaults. This non-traditional intervention research technique therefore sought to develop an alternative method capable of providing the frequency and intensity needed for improving the walking skills in post-acute stroke patients. The work also attempted to show how skills gained in virtual environments transfer to the real world. The work employed the case study method to report the results observed from four post-acute stroke patients who trained on the non-traditional intervention program for about half an hour per day, five days a week, for a period of four consecutive weeks at the out-patient department of the Sir John Golding Rehabilitation Center. The patients performed a computer-based painting exercise with their hemiplegic legs using a head-mounted display, and their gait variables were recorded and analyzed to determine the usefulness of the program in ambulatory training for post-acute stroke patients. A follow up examination conducted one week after the intervention sought to determine whether the patients could perform the skills learned on the computer-based intervention program in the real world. The results of the research showed that all the patients improved on their gait parameters and could walk better. An observational gait analysis conducted one week post-intervention showed that the skills gained in the virtual environment transferred to real-world conditions. The study contributes to the current effort to provide wider access to therapeutic intervention techniques using computer technology.