Virtual Reality Mirrors Therapy Usability

Official title

Feasibility and Usability of Immersive VR Mirror Therapy for Upper Limb Rehabilitation

Overview

Mirror therapy has been shown to support motor recovery by stimulating neural mechanisms through visual feedback. Recent technological advancements, particularly in virtual reality (VR), have enabled the development of more immersive and interactive rehabilitation tools. This study focuses on evaluating the usability of a novel, Leap Motion-based Virtual Reality Mirror Therapy (VRMT) system designed to enhance upper limb rehabilitation in stroke patients by combining traditional mirror therapy principles with engaging, gamified digital environments.

Detailed description

The VRMT system was developed to provide a low-cost, sensor-based rehabilitation tool that enables stroke survivors to engage in interactive upper limb exercises. Utilizing the Leap Motion sensor for real-time hand tracking, the system projects mirrored movements of the unaffected limb onto a virtual representation of the affected limb, reinforcing motor learning and neuroplasticity. The system includes multiple gamified tasks that simulate functional hand and arm movements within a virtual environment. Participants with subacute or chronic stroke used the system across several sessions, after which usability and user experience were assessed using standardized tools such as the System Usability Scale (SUS) and User Experience Questionnaire (UEQ). This approach allows for detailed feedback on comfort, satisfaction, interaction quality, and perceived effectiveness, contributing to future development and clinical integration of VR-based rehabilitation technologies.The aim of this study is to evaluate the usability, acceptability, and user experience of a Leap Motion-based Virtual Reality Mirror Therapy (VRMT) system designed to support upper limb rehabilitation in individuals with stroke. By integrating traditional mirror therapy principles with immersive virtual environments, the study seeks to determine the feasibility of using this system in clinical and home-based rehabilitation settings.

Interventions

• Other Virtual Reality Mirror Therapy
  Participants will be seated on a chair with back support, their feet in contact with the ground, and both arms placed on a table. Data from participants' right forearms will be collected using Leap Motion tracking. In the virtual reality environment, both the original and mirrored forearms will be displayed within the participants' field of view. The mirror therapy session will consist of two 15-minute segments with a 10-minute rest period in between. Activities to be practiced during the sessi
• Other Conventional Mirror Therapy
  Participants will be seated on a chair with back support, their feet in contact with the ground, and both arms placed on a table. Activities to be practiced during the session will include wrist flexion and extension, forearm pronation and supination, finger flexion and extension, finger opposition movements, squeezing a cloth, grasping a round object, wiping a table, and object manipulation. The therapy program will follow a progression from simple to complex and functional movements throughout
• Other Sham Virtual Reality
  Participants will experience virtual environments while seated and wearing a virtual reality headset, without interacting with the environment. The sham mirror therapy session will consist of two 15-minute segments with a 10-minute rest period in between.

Primary outcome measures

• Simulator Sickness Questionnaire [Time frame: One hour]

Secondary outcome measures (4)

• Presence Questionnaire [Time frame: One hour]
• Virtual Reality Sickness Questionnaire [Time frame: One hour]
• System Usability Scale [Time frame: One hour]
• Virtual Reality System Usability Questionnaire [Time frame: One hour]

Eligibility criteria

Inclusion criteria

• Stereo acuity score of 3552 arc/sec in the Titmus Fly Test
• No prior virtual reality experience

Exclusion criteria

• Severe sensory impairments (vision or hearing)
• Being diagnosed with neurological disorders

Criteria are shown verbatim from the registry (in English). Final eligibility is always assessed by the study center.

Healthy volunteers: Yes

Study design

Allocation

Randomized

Model

Parallel assignment

Masking

Single blind

Primary purpose

Other

Study locations

Turkey (Türkiye) · 2 centers

• Faculty of Health Sciences Bolu Abant Izzet Baysal University — Bolu
• Bolu Abant Izzet Baysal University Department of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation — Bolu

Identifiers

NCT: NCT07039136 · AIBU-FTR-RK-11

Primary sources (government registries)

• ClinicalTrials.gov (US NIH)

View this study on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗