• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
• /
• v.24 no.2
• /
• pp.90-97
• /
• 2012

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of virtual reality-based continuous slow exercise on muscle strength and dynamic balance capacity, in older adults over 65 years of age. Methods: Twenty-six volunteers were randomly divided into two groups; a Virtual Reality (VR) exercise-group ($67.8{\pm}4.1$ yrs) and a Control group ($65.5{\pm}5.2$ yrs). The VR group participated in eight weeks of virtual reality exercise, utilizing modified Tai-Chi provided by a motion capture system, and the Control group had no intervention. The hip muscle strength and dynamic balance of the members of both the VR group and the Control group were measured at pre- and post-intervention, using a multimodal dynamometer, and backward stepping test, respectively. Results: 1. After the 8-week VR-based exercise, the VR group showed significant improvement of hip strength, compared to the control group: hip extension (p=0.00), flexion (p=0.00), abduction (p=0.00), and adduction (p=0.00). 2. After the 8-week VR-based exercise, the VR group showed significant improvement of dynamic balance capacity as ground reaction force, compared to the control group. Eyes opened backward stepping test: Fx (+) (p=0.00), Fy (-) (p=0.02), Ver (+) (p=0.02) direction. Eyes closed backward stepping test: Fx (+) (p=0.04), Fy (-) (p=0.04), Ver (+) (p=0.03) direction. Conclusion: The VR group showed improvement of their hip muscle strength, and dynamic balance capacity. Therefore VR-based continuous slow exercise would contribute to reducing the risk of falls in the elderly.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
• /
• v.26 no.6
• /
• pp.430-435
• /
• 2014

Purpose: The objective of this study was a virtual reality-based balance training program effective for improvement in physical function, examined the balance ability and fall efficacy of elderly women with experienced falls, intending to examine the program's usefulness as an exercise program to prevent the recurrence of a fall. Methods: The participants were 30 elderly women aged 65 or older who met the conditions. The participants were randomly assigned to either a balance training group (BT) or a virtual reality-based balance training group (VT) and received the training three times per week, 30 minutes per day, for six weeks. To measure static balance, the Tetrax Portable Multiple System (Tetrax Ltd, Israel) were used. To measure dynamic balance, the Berg Balance Scale (BBS) and functional reach test (FRT) was used, and regarding fall efficacy, the Korean Fall Efficacy Scale (K-FES) was used. Results: Tetrax significantly improved after the intervention in both the BT group and the VT group (p<0.05). The comparison between the two groups was not significantly. BBS and FRT result significantly improved after the intervention in both the BT and VT groups (p<0.001), while K-FES was significantly ameliorated in the VT group only (p<.05). Comparing the groups, there were more significant changes in the BBS (p<0.05) and FRT (p<0.01) result of the VT group than the BT group. Conclusion: A virtual reality-based balance training program is considered to be usable as an exercise program to prevent recurrence of falls in elderly women.

• Journal of Convergence for Information Technology
• /
• v.8 no.1
• /
• pp.173-177
• /
• 2018

This study compared the muscle on-set time of fully immersive virtual reality motions with that of actual motions to if there difference. The subjects were 30 healthy adults subjects and compared the virtual reality moction group(punch, archery) and actual motion group(punch, archery) muscle on-set time. In this study, there was no significant difference between the virtual reality motion group and actual motion group muscle on-set time(p>0.05). Fully immersive virtual reality is deemed to be applicable for use in physical therapy. In future studies, it is necessary to investigate whether a fully immersive virtual reality can be applied to patients.

• Cartoon and Animation Studies
• /
• s.22
• /
• pp.81-97
• /
• 2011

The technology of 'Virtual Reality' has placed in advanced tools for human beings' joy and anger together with sorrow and pleasure in our generation. It has recently tried in a variety ways to use as an implication for treatment in the field of Cognitive Psychology. Especially, it widely approaches to human in terms of that a sense of reality in a virtual world through the five senses should reinterpret the meaning of cognition in the real world. Based on this paradigm shift, it allows for new treatment using the technology of virtual reality. A typical example is a field of Therapy in order to overcome panic disorder. It has advantages that in particular development of flexible interaction technologies in a virtual space can lead patients to experience psychological environments rather than physical one. the interaction technology provides environments in which users' five senses can be actively stimulated, it is very useful that information from the experiences in the virtual world allows people to learn through real experiences by renewing potential energies, advantages of Virtual Reality Therapy can be customized treatment by depending on symptoms in patients with panic disorder and are capable of differentiate application for the cure at each stage. It is to treat by leading patients to get accustomed to environments and situations in real world through care process with each symptom and stage. It is helpful that based on A Human-Sensibility Ergonomics, technologies like immersive virtual reality equipment, force-relative feedback and stereophonic sound, and like stimulating the sense of smell make people to induce experiences by stimulating human's five senses. There are many advantages of immersion in virtual world in that the phenomenon such as challenge, interaction, reality, illusion, and cooperation is expanded. As an application for therapy by growing such augmented reality, virtual space and sharing of data through the Internet and also inexpensive its availability have recently expanded the base. There are other benefits of Virtual Reality Therapy offering active interaction environments for cognitive experience which can provide appropriately adjusted environments for patients who are hard to overcome the real situation because of phobia. In addition to that it is safe and economical and patients' confidentiality is assured. Moreover, due to the principles of applying real-time navigation the Virtual Reality Therapy makes modification and supplementation easier and also it can reduce cybersickness because of the supply of Lenticular allowing people to see stereoscopy without eyeglasses, which makes sense of presence clearer. On top of that due to the development of interactive technologies, it is becoming close to sense of reality similar to real world by leading users to navigate by themselves and to operate objects in a virtual space. This paper will therefore examine, although it is of limited, characteristics of application of virtual reality technology based on A Human-Sensibility Ergonomics used for treatment for a disorder. this paper will analyse a range of its application and problems and it will suggest the future possibilities.

• Journal of Korean Physical Therapy Science
• /
• v.28 no.3
• /
• pp.11-29
• /
• 2021

Background: The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of virtual reality on gait, balance, and upper extremity functions compared to other independent variables or no variables. Additionally, the possibility of virtual reality for stroke patients was discussed. Design: Meta-analysis. Methods: The search for this study was a search term that combined stroke, virtual reality, and training, and the electronic search was conducted through EMBASE, MEDLINE, and Cochrane Library. As a result of the search, 21 studies satisfying the selection criteria of the target study were confirmed as the final analysis target. This study consisted of 21 randomized experimental studies and 21 randomized controlled trials, and the total number of participants was 642. [Experimental group (n=314), control group (n=328); total 642]. As a result of the study, upper extremity function was assessed using a box and block test, a modified Ashworth scale, and a scale including range of motion. The balance was evaluated by the berg balance scale. Gait was a Timed Up and Go test (TUG), stride length, and gait function. Scales including a walking rate scale were evaluated. The effect size for the intervention of the analytical study was meta-analyzed with the RevMan 5.3.3 program of the Cochrane library. Results: The results of the study showed that the function of walking was statistically significant. Balance showed statistically significant results. The upper extremity function showed no statistically significant results. Conclusion: Through this rehabilitation treatment by applying virtual reality environment to the rehabilitation of stroke patients in the future can be proposed as an effective intervention method for the balance and gait function of stroke patients.

• Journal of Korean Physical Therapy Science
• /
• v.24 no.3
• /
• pp.1-11
• /
• 2017

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of virtual reality based treadmill training on muscle architecture of gastrocnemius in chronic stroke patients. Methods: Thirty chronic stroke patients were randomly assigned to either the virtual reality based treadmill training (VRTT) group (n=15) or treadmill training (TT) group (n=15). Both groups participated in a standard rehabilitation program; in addition, the VRTT group participated in virtual reality based treadmill training for 30 minutes per day, three times per week, for 6 weeks, and TT group participated in treadmill walking training for 30 minutes per day, three times per week, for 6 weeks. Ultrasound image was used for measurement of pennation angle and muscle thickness of the medial gastrocnemius muscle at rest and during maximum voluntary contraction. Results: In the paretic side medial gastrocnemius muscle, greater improvement on the pennation angle and muscle thickness while resting and maximal voluntary contraction were observed in the VRTT group compared with the TT group. Conclusion: Findings of this study demonstrated that the virtual reality based treadmill training has an effect on muscle architecture of medial gastrocnemius in chronic stroke patients.

• 재활복지
• /
• v.22 no.3
• /
• pp.209-224
• /
• 2018

The purpose of this study is to provide a basic data about the virtual reality rehabilitation therapy to the occupational therapist in the domestic clinical field by systematically analyzing the types and effects of the rehabilitation therapy using the virtual reality program. Research articles were retrieved from January 2007 to December 2017 using the Research Information Sharing Service (RISS), Google Scholar, and Pubmed database. The main search terms were 'Virtual Reality AND Rehabilitation' and 'Virtual reality AND Effect'. Finally, 10 foreign studies were selected as the subjects of this study. Selected studies were organized using PICO (Patient, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome) format. The results were as follows: The subjects were divided into 4 types, stroke, brain tumor, Parkinson 's disease, and kidney disease. The tools used for arbitration were three IREX (30 %), two X-box Kinect (20 %), two Nintendo Wii (20 %), one [Existing tool + VR] (10 %), one [Mobile application + VR] (10 %). As a result of the intervention, improvement of function was observed in all 10 studies from overseas, and physical function was 24 times (66 %), mental function 6 times (17 %), cognitive function 5 times (14 %), Activity of daily living 1 time (10 %). this study could be used as a basic resource to enhance the professionalism and quality of rehabilitation services and expand the scope by organizing virtual reality-based rehabilitation and its effects.

• The Journal of Korean society of community based occupational therapy
• /
• v.2 no.2
• /
• pp.25-35
• /
• 2012

Objective : The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of virtual reality program on fall efficacy and activities of daily living(ADL) for patients with stroke. Method : Twenty stroke patients were participated voluntarily and were assigned randomly into the control and the experimental groups. Both control and experimental groups were given same basic rehabilitation treatment while only the experimental group was given virtual reality program. The fall efficacy of both groups was assessed using fall efficacy scale(FES) and ADL performance ability was assessed by functional independence measure(FIM). Result : Fall efficacy and ADL performance ability showed a statistically meaningful difference for both experimental and control groups(p< .05), the fall efficacy and ADL performance ability of the experimental group improved meaningfully in a statistical way than that of the control group(p<. 05). Conclusion : It was found that carrying out virtual reality program with occupational therapy has an effect on fall efficacy and ADL performance ability of patients with stroke. Therefore, virtual reality program can be a way of treatment for patients with stroke to improve their fall efficacy and ADL performance ability, and the program can also be applied in clinics as well as occupational therapy.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
• /
• v.22 no.4
• /
• pp.1-12
• /
• 2022

Since the early 20th century, along with the interest and development of alternative psychotherapy, the field of art therapy has also been developed and expanded. In particular, the recent development of technology and the untact era brought about by the COVID-19 Pandemic is accelerating the development of new digital art therapy contents. Among them, the hot interest in virtual reality is raising expectations and questions about the effectiveness of psychotherapy given by new media beyond traditional art therapy. In this study, the characteristics of VRAT (Virtual Reality Art Therapy) content therapeutic factors were investigated through qualitative literature analysis based on the conceptual framework and therapeutic components of ETC (Expressive Therapies Continumm), an integrated art therapy theory. As a result of the study, VRAT contents showed mostly therapeutic factors in the left hemisphere that triggered the user's dynamic, perceptual, and cognitive factors, and the therapeutic factors in the right hemisphere, which focused on sensory, emotional, and symbolic factors, were relatively few. The reason seems to be due to the nature of the experimental stage, the absence of active intervention by the therapist and long-term session composition, and the fear, clumsiness, and unfamiliarity of users about VRAT in addition to the characteristics and technical limitations of the VRAT medium. The limitations of the study include the small number of documents to be analyzed and the insufficient form of current VRAT to be called art therapy. It is expected that the characteristics of the therapeutic factors of VRAT content media and environment derived as a result of this study will be usefully used for the appropriate development of VRAT content in the future.

• Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Science
• /
• v.1 no.1
• /
• pp.33-39
• /
• 2012

Objective: The objective of this study is to investigate the effect of treadmill training with real optic flow scene on functional recovery of balance and balance self-efficacy in stroke patients. Design: Single blind, Randomized controlled trial. Methods: Nine patients following stroke were divided randomly into the treadmill with optic flow group (n=3), treadmill with virtual reality group (n=3), and control group (n=3). Subjects in the treadmill with optic flow group wore a head-mounted display in order to receive a speed modulated real optic flow scene during treadmill training for 30 minutes, while those in the treadmill with virtual reality group and control group received treadmill training with virtual reality and regular therapy for the same amount of time, five times per week for a period of three weeks. Timed up and go test (TUG) and activities-specific balance confidence scale (ABC scale) were evaluated before and after the intervention. Results: TUG in the treadmill training with optic flow group showed significantly greater improvement, compared with the treadmill training with virtual reality group and control group (p<0.05). Significantly greater improvement in the ABC scale was observed in the treadmill training with optic flow group and the tread mill training with virtual reality group, compared with the control group (p<0.05). Conclusions: Findings of this study demonstrate that treadmill training with real optic flow scene can be helpful in improving balance and balance self-efficacy of patients with chronic stroke and may be used as a practical adjunct to routine rehabilitation therapy.