Immediate effect of video viewing with an illusion of walking at a faster speed using virtual reality on actual walking of stroke patients.
Akiyoshi Takami, Koh Watanabe, Misato Makino
PMID 34393363WHAT IT FOUND
After watching a 2-minute VR video of walking faster than their own pace, 12 stroke patients walked at a slightly faster step rate.
Walking speed did not change significantly, and the effect of the illusion on actual walking remains unproven.
Key findings
01Cadence increased significantly after the VR intervention, but walking speed did not.
02There were no significant differences in stride length, cadence, or walking speed during maximum walking trials.
03Patients with a higher walking reserve showed a greater increase in maximum walking speed after the intervention.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
The sample size was very small (12 patients), making it difficult to detect significant differences and limiting generalizability. The study only measured immediate effects; it is unknown if these minor changes in cadence persist or lead to long-term gait improvements. The mechanism of action (brain activation) was not measured and remains a hypothesis. The primary outcome (walking speed) was not significant; the positive finding was on a secondary parameter (cadence).
Declared interests
The work was supported by JSPS KAKENHI Grant Number JP19K11712. The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the significant increase in cadence as evidence that VR improves walking speed. The primary measure of walking speed did not change significantly, and the clinical relevance of a minor step rate increase is unknown.