XR Technologies & Stroke Recovery: Revolutionising Rehabilitation for Better Outcomes
October 23, 2024
Stroke remains a leading cause of disability globally, impacting millions of people each year. Rehabilitation, particularly for upper limb impairments, is critical to regaining motor function and independence. However, traditional stroke rehabilitation methods face challenges related to access, motivation, and consistency. Enter XR (Extended Reality) technologies. These innovative solutions are transforming how stroke survivors engage with their recovery, offering a more engaging, motivating, and accessible approach.
Sources:
[1] World Stroke Organisation (WSO) Global Stroke Fact Sheet 2022
[2] Stroke Association, UK
Challenges of Stroke Rehabilitation
Limited Access to Therapies: Only 13.3% of stroke patients who were judged to need physiotherapy, occupational therapy, and speech and language therapy received the recommended amount of these therapies between October and December 2022.
Inadequate Rehabilitation Services: Less than 50% of hospital rehabilitation services had the recommended staffing levels for core rehabilitation disciplines (such as physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, etc.).
Minimal Psychological Support: On average, stroke patients requiring psychological support in 2021-22 received less than 4 minutes of support per day during the period when they needed it. This data was measured across all teams involved in their care.
Understaffed Community Rehabilitation Teams: Less than one-third of community-based rehabilitation teams met the recommended staffing levels for effective stroke recovery care.
Time-Limited Post-Hospital Services: 58% of post-hospital rehabilitation services imposed a time limit on rehabilitation, restricting patient care beyond a certain period.
Stroke rehabilitation often involves intensive physical and cognitive training to regain motor functions. As the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) points out, the recovery process requires repeated motor skill training to see improvements.
XR Technologies in Stroke Recovery
After a stroke, upper limb (UL) impairments affect around 80% of survivors [3], which can significantly hinder daily tasks. Rehabilitation often requires repetitive and intensive exercises, which can be challenging due to various limitations such as cost, lack of motivation, and transportation.
XR technologies offer immersive environments that simulate real-life tasks, making rehabilitation more engaging, motivating, and customisable. Studies have shown that XR when used alongside conventional therapy, improves motor control, improves functional outcomes, and reduces the burden on clinicians.
Real-Life Applications of XR in Stroke Recovery
MindMaze’s MindMotion: This platform provides immersive, task-based training environments that make repetitive exercises more engaging. Patients can improve motor skills through targeted rehabilitation for upper and lower limb recovery.
XRHealth’s Neuro VR: Offering remote, data-driven therapy, XRHealth's platform enables clinicians to create personalised treatment plans. Patients perform exercises in a virtual environment, receiving real-time feedback to improve motor control and cognitive functions, all while clinicians track progress remotely.
Our eir bands: Combining XR with patented muscle haptics technology, eir bands stimulate targeted muscles through its patented Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES). As patients engage with gamified virtual reality environments, they interact with tasks resembling real-life activities. eir bands deliver electrical impulses that activate the muscles in response to their movements in the VR environment.
Adopting XR technologies in stroke recovery is transforming the rehabilitation landscape. By offering immersive, task-oriented environments and combining them with Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES), stroke patients can engage in gamified, realistic scenarios that activate and stimulate their muscles in sync with the VR experience. This unique approach boosts motivation and engagement and enhances motor recovery outcomes.
[3] Masiero S, Armani M, Ferlini G, Rosati G, Rossi A. Randomized trial of a robotic assistive device for the upper extremity during early inpatient stroke rehabilitation. Neurorehabil Neural Repair. 2014;28(4):377–86.