Effects of Intensive Virtual Reality-Based Balance and Gait Training on Activity Performance and Quality of Life in Subacute Stroke Patients

Condition(s) studied

Investigational drug(s) / intervention(s)

Virtual Reality-Based Balance and Gait Training: Participants will receive an additional 30-minute session of virtual reality-based balance and gait training per treatment day for a total of 15 sessions, alongside routine conventional physiotherapy. The VR program will include task-specific exercises targeting balance and walking, such as weight-shifting, stepping, and gait-related tasks selected from a pre-defined exercise pool and individualized according to participant needs. Task difficulty will be progressed within and across sessions based on performance. Active exercise time will be recorded; rest periods due to fatigue will not be counted as active training time. A safety harness providing body-weight support will be used during training to minimize fall risk.

Conventional Physiotherapy: Participants will receive routine conventional physiotherapy consisting of 60 minutes per session for a total of 15 sessions. The program will be delivered as part of standard inpatient/outpatient physiotherapy care and will include conventional rehabilitation components aimed at improving balance, mobility, and functional capacity, as clinically indicated.

Study summary

Stroke is one of the leading causes of long-term disability worldwide, and balance and gait impairments are common in the subacute phase, limiting activity performance and quality of life. Early and intensive rehabilitation during the first six months after stroke is considered critical for optimizing functional recovery. Virtual reality-based rehabilitation has emerged as a promising approach to enhance motor learning through task-specific, repetitive, and feedback-driven training.

This randomized controlled trial aims to investigate the effects of intensive virtual reality-based balance and gait training on activity performance, balance confidence, and quality of life in individuals with subacute stroke. Participants will be randomly allocated to either an intervention group receiving conventional physiotherapy combined with additional virtual reality-based balance and gait training, or a control group receiving conventional physiotherapy alone during the study period. Outcome measures will include functional mobility, balance confidence, cognitive status, and stroke-specific quality of life. The findings of this study may contribute to optimizing rehabilitation intensity and timing strategies in subacute stroke rehabilitation

Eligibility

Primary outcome measure(s)

• Timed Up and Go Test — Baseline and immediately after completion of the 15-session intervention period (15 days)
  The Timed Up and Go Test measures functional mobility. Participants are instructed to stand up from a standard chair (approximately 46 cm height), walk 3 meters at a comfortable and safe pace, turn around, walk back, and sit down. The total time required to complete the task is recorded in seconds. Shorter completion times indicate better functional mobility.
• Canadian Occupational Performance Measure — Baseline and post-intervention (15 days)
  The COPM is a client-centered outcome measure assessing perceived performance and satisfaction in self-care, productivity, and leisure activities. Participants rate identified priority activities on a 10-point scale for performance and satisfaction. Higher scores indicate better perceived performance and satisfaction.

Trial sites (1)

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