Date of Award
2024
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Medical Science (DMSc)
First Advisor
Jason Brumitt
Abstract
Parkinson’s disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that impairs patient’s motor function. With limited treatments available, physical therapy-based exercise has become the rehabilitation measure of choice. There has been growing interest in using virtual reality gaming for motor rehabilitation in patients with various acute brain injuries and neurological disorders, but little has been explored in implementing these techniques in patients with Parkinson’s disease. The aim of this scoping review was to examine existing randomized controlled trials comparing virtual reality and traditional physical therapy in gait and balance outcomes, and to see if there are additional benefits that virtual reality may deliver in relation to quality of life. Nine studies were reviewed and results in disease progression outcome measures, such as the Berg Balance Scale, Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale, and the Dynamic Gait Index, were compared between a physical therapy control group and a virtual reality test group after 5-12 weeks of intervention. Results of this research demonstrated significant improvement in all outcomes in groups utilizing virtual reality for rehabilitation, equal to or more than the improvements noted with physical therapy alone. It was concluded that virtual reality is a promising addition to traditional physical therapy and should be strongly considered for patients with Parkinson’s disease.
Recommended Citation
Surridge, Rachel E.; Stilp, Curt C.; Johnson, Christen; and Brumitt, J., "The use of virtual reality for Parkinson’s disease rehabilitation: A scoping review" (2024). Doctor of Medical Science (DMSc). 38.
https://digitalcommons.georgefox.edu/dmsc/38