Objective To observe the effect of immersion virtual reality (IVR) training combined with occupational therapy (OT) in the treatment of stroke patients with unilateral neglect.
Methods Fifty stroke patients with unilateral neglect in Shanghai Fourth Rehabilitation Hospital were randomly divided into IVR plus OT group and OT group, with 25 cases in each group. The OT group received conventional OT for unilateral neglect, and the IVR plus OT group received IVR training and OT. Both groups were treated for 4 weeks. Before and after treatment, the Catherine Bergego Scale (CBS), line cancellation test, star cancellation test, and drawing clock test were used to evaluate unilateral neglect symptoms; the Fugl-Meyer Assessment for Upper Extremity (FMA-UE) and Barthel index (BI) were used to evaluate motor function of upper extremity and activities of daily living.
Results After treatment, the results of CBS, line cancellation test, star cancellation test, drawing clock test, FMA-UE and BI scores were significantly improved when compared with those before treatment in both groups, and the improvement effects in the IVR plus OT group were significantly better than those in the OT group (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01).
Conclusion IVR training combined with OT can improve unilateral neglect symptoms, motor function of affected upper extremity, and activities of daily living in stroke patients.