Performing a shortened version of the Action Research Arm Test in immersive virtual reality to assess post-stroke upper limb activity.
Quentin Burton, Thierry Lejeune, Stéphanie Dehem and 4 others
PMID 36463219WHAT IT FOUND
A shortened immersive VR ARAT tracked traditional paretic-hand scores in people after stroke, but omitted six items and needed headset setup.
Key findings
01The 13-item VR ARAT tracked traditional paretic-hand scores closely in people with stroke.
02Repeat paretic-hand VR scores were stable, with a minimal detectable change of 4.0 points.
03The VR version omitted six traditional ARAT items because hand tracking could not accurately represent some object manipulations.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The VR version omitted six traditional ARAT items because hand tracking could not accurately represent some objects. The headset gave no tactile feedback, and healthy controls and less-affected hands often did not reach maximum VR scores. The study excluded people with severe communication or cognitive impairment, so it says little about those patients. Reliability and minimal detectable change were based on a subgroup, and responsiveness and clinically important change were not tested. Some participants would need technical support when starting to use the virtual test. The paper tested only 30 people with stroke and suggested larger testing is needed.
Declared interests
Funded by Région Wallonne, the SPW-Economie-Emploi-Recherche and the Win2Wal Program.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that the VR ARAT is equivalent to the full ARAT for all patients. It omitted six items, did not provide tactile feedback, and was mainly validated for paretic-hand scores in people who could understand instructions.