The Effect of Virtual Reality Treadmill-Based Gait Training on Gait and Balance Ability in Chronic Stroke Patients

NCT ID: NCT06557681

Last Updated: 2024-08-16

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: ACTIVE_NOT_RECRUITING
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 30 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2024-03-25
• Study Completion Date: 2024-09-27

Brief Summary

Walking independence is one of the most important goals for stroke patients and a major factor influencing their return to society after the onset of stroke. Stroke patients experience walking difficulties due to hemiplegia and have an increased risk of falls due to impaired balance ability. Recent studies have shown that treadmill-based walking training incorporating virtual reality can help improve walking and balance functions in actual stroke patients. However, there are few randomized clinical trials with control groups, highlighting the need for further research to ensure the reliability of clinical effects.

Therefore, this study aims to investigate the impact of treadmill-based training incorporating virtual reality on walking and balance functions. The training equipment to be used is the C-mill VR+ device, which enables walking training and assessment, balance training and assessment, and obstacle training using a front screen and treadmill videos. The investigators intend to thoroughly examine the walking ability and balance ability of the subjects obtained through this equipment, along with various evaluation tools.

Conditions

Stroke; Hemiplegia

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: TREATMENT
• Blinding Strategy: SINGLE

Study Groups

Experimental Group

Receives conventional therapy (physical therapy)

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Virtual Reality-Treadmill Training Group (VTT)

Intervention Type: DEVICE

The Virtual Reality-Treadmill Training Group (VTT) will consist of 15 participants who will undergo 12 training sessions over 6 weeks, with each session occurring twice a week. Each session will include 30 minutes of conventional rehabilitation therapy followed by an additional 30 minutes of virtual reality-treadmill training. The sequence of these therapies can vary with each session. The virtual reality-treadmill training, conducted under the supervision of a therapist, will focus on five key components: precision stepping, obstacle negotiation, direction of progression, precision acceleration, and walking velocity. Evaluations of walking and balance abilities will be conducted before and after the intervention.

Control Group

Receives conventional therapy (physical therapy)

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Conventional Therapy Group (CT)

Intervention Type: OTHER

The Conventional Therapy Group (CT) will consist of 15 participants who will undergo 12 training sessions over 6 weeks, with each session occurring twice a week. Each session will include 30 minutes of conventional rehabilitation therapy, aimed at improving walking and balance functions. The therapy will be administered by a therapist and may include exercises focused on muscle strength increase, gait training for step length and walking speed improvement, and balance training. Evaluations of walking and balance abilities will be conducted before and after the intervention.

Interventions

Virtual Reality-Treadmill Training Group (VTT)

The Virtual Reality-Treadmill Training Group (VTT) will consist of 15 participants who will undergo 12 training sessions over 6 weeks, with each session occurring twice a week. Each session will include 30 minutes of conventional rehabilitation therapy followed by an additional 30 minutes of virtual reality-treadmill training. The sequence of these therapies can vary with each session. The virtual reality-treadmill training, conducted under the supervision of a therapist, will focus on five key components: precision stepping, obstacle negotiation, direction of progression, precision acceleration, and walking velocity. Evaluations of walking and balance abilities will be conducted before and after the intervention.

Intervention Type: DEVICE

Conventional Therapy Group (CT)

The Conventional Therapy Group (CT) will consist of 15 participants who will undergo 12 training sessions over 6 weeks, with each session occurring twice a week. Each session will include 30 minutes of conventional rehabilitation therapy, aimed at improving walking and balance functions. The therapy will be administered by a therapist and may include exercises focused on muscle strength increase, gait training for step length and walking speed improvement, and balance training. Evaluations of walking and balance abilities will be conducted before and after the intervention.

Intervention Type: OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

1. Adult patients aged 19 years or older.

2. Confirmed diagnosis of stroke by a neurologist or neurosurgeon through radiological methods such as CT or MRI.

3. Chronic hemiplegic stroke patients, six months post-stroke onset.

4. Patients with a Functional Ambulatory Category score of 3 or higher.

5. Patients with a Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score of 10 or higher, who understand the study, are willing to participate voluntarily, and have given consent to participate.

Exclusion Criteria

1. Acute/subacute stroke patients within six months of stroke symptom onset.

2. Patients with quadriplegia.

3. Patients with ataxia.

4. Patients with severe joint contracture of the lower limbs that makes wearing orthotics difficult.

5. Patients with neurological, musculoskeletal, or cardiopulmonary diseases that affect walking.

6. Any other cases deemed inappropriate for participation by the researcher.

• Minimum Eligible Age: 19 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 80 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Sponsors

Yonsei University

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Responsibility Role: SPONSOR

Locations

Department and Research Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine

Seoul, , South Korea

Countries

South Korea

References

Han SH, Jang HJ, Lee JW, Cheong JW, Kim YD, Nam HS, Kim DY. The effect of virtual reality-based treadmill gait training on functional mobility and balance in chronic stroke patients: a randomized controlled trial. Front Neurol. 2025 Jul 21;16:1603233. doi: 10.3389/fneur.2025.1603233. eCollection 2025.

Reference Type: DERIVED

PMID: 40761640 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

1-2023-0088

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id