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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2020 Apr 29;17(1):59.
doi: 10.1186/s12984-020-00689-z.

The use of a task through virtual reality in cerebral palsy using two different interaction devices (concrete and abstract) - a cross-sectional randomized study

Andréa Fernanda Leal  1   2 , Talita Dias da Silva  3   4   5   6 , Priscila Bianchi Lopes  2 , Shayan Bahadori  7 , Luciano Vieira de Araújo  8 , Murillo Vinicius Brandão da Costa  8 , Íbis Ariana Peña de Moraes  8   9 , Ricardo Henrique Marques  10 , Tania Brusque Crocetta  8   11 , Luiz Carlos de Abreu  1 , Carlos Bandeira de Mello Monteiro  1   8   9
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

The use of a task through virtual reality in cerebral palsy using two different interaction devices (concrete and abstract) - a cross-sectional randomized study

Andréa Fernanda Leal et al. J Neuroeng Rehabil. .

Abstract

Background: Cerebral Palsy (CP) is characterised by variable difficulties in muscular action, resulting in inability of the individual to perform functional movement. An option to provide functionality to the individual with CP is the use of computer innovation. The aim of this paper was to verify if there was any performance improvement in a task performed in a virtual environment and if there was transfer to the task performed in the real environment and vice versa in this population.

Methods: A computer program was developed comprising a motor task, but with two possibilities of user interaction: a) concrete interface (with physical contact): in which the individual touches the computer screen to finish the task and b) abstract interface (no physical contact): in which the individual performs a hand movement in front of the Kinect device. Participants were split into two groups. The experimental group consisted of 28 individuals with CP within the ages of 6 and 15 years old. The control group included 28 typically developing individuals mirroring the age and sex of the experimental group.

Results: Individuals from both groups were able to improve task performance and retain acquired information. The CP group presented worse performance than the control group in all phases of the study. Further findings showed that the CP group presented better performance in the abstract interface than in the concrete interface, whereas, in the control group, the opposite occurred: their best performance was in the concrete.

Conclusions: Motor tasks performed by individuals with CP through an interface with a more virtual environment feature (abstract interface: Kinect) provided better performance when compared to an interface with a more real characteristic (concrete interface: Touchscreen).

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier - NCT03352440; Date of registration - November 17, 2017.

Keywords: Cerebral palsy; Learning; Motor activity; Motor skills; Virtual reality exposure therapy.

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Conflict of interest statement

None of the authors have any competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Design of the study. TD: Typical Development; CP: Cerebral Palsy; G1: Performed practice of the task using an abstract interface; G2: Performed practice of the task using an concrete interface
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Representation of the child performing a motor task through the Touchscreen. Source: Own authorship
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
representation of the child performing a motor task through Kinect. Source: Own authorship
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Representation of the blocks of trials in groups
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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