Virtual Reality Games for Stroke Rehabilitation: A Feasibility Study

Abstract

The success of stroke rehabilitation therapy is highly associated with patient cooperation. However, the repetitive nature of conventional therapies can frustrate patients and decrease their discipline in working out the physical therapy program. Serious games have shown promising outcomes when applied to tasks that require human engagement. This research focuses on sharing experiences and lessons learned from designing serious games using VR technology in cooperation with medical experts including rehab physicians, occupational therapists and physiotherapists to identify requirements and to evaluate the game before applying with stroke patients. The game has the objective to create an immersive environment that encourages the patient to exercise for recovery from stroke-induced disabilities. It is delicately designed to fit the stroke sufferers in Thailand, meanwhile, to integrate proper clinical physio therapeutic patterns based on the conventional therapy. Game design challenges for stroke patients and our solutions applied in the games were described. Our results of the preliminary field test revealed positive feedback on enjoyment and game features from physicians and physiotherapists. Finally, technical issues and suggestions for improvement were collected to adjust the game for the clinical trial with stroke patients in the next phase.