Feasibility and Acceptance of a Virtual Reality System for Gait Training of Individuals with Multiple Sclerosis

"The goals of motor rehabilitation are the improvement of mobility and the achievement of greater independence in everyday life, which requires specific multi-factorial improvements in sensory, motor, and cognitive functions. These can be addressed through multi-sensory interventions delivering stimuli, while engaging the participant in dual task activities, typical of daily living, using customized virtual reality (VR) rehabilitation tools. A prerequisite of a successful VR-based rehabilitation intervention is the patient’s engagement, motivation and satisfaction. In this study, a newly developed VR-based gait training approach for patients affected by multiple sclerosis is described and the technology required for its implementation is evaluated in terms of acceptance and feasibility. The results have shown that the use of this technology was well accepted by the participants, the system was durable and demonstrated high adaptability to patient's motor and cognitive status. This pilot study has demonstrated the usability of such a system for the training of patients with MS and suggests that VR-treadmill training could be useful to improve gait and cognitive function in such a cohort"