The effect of virtual reality applications on balance, postural control and functionality in hemiplegic patients

The aim of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of virtual reality applications on balance, postural control and functionality in hemiplegic patients. 50 volunteer patients who applied to the Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Department of Private Mediworld Medical Center and met the inclusion criteria were equally and randomly distributed to the control and experimental groups. While conventional physiotherapy protocols planned in accordance with their needs were applied to the participants in the control group, 30 minutes of virtual reality applications were applied to the participants in the experimental group in addition to the conventional physiotherapy protocols planned in accordance with their needs. Participants were recruited for 10 weeks, 3 days a week, and were evaluated before and after 10 weeks of treatment. The clinical and demographic information of the participants were obtained with a sociodemographic form. Balance Berg Balance Scale, postural control with Postural Rating Scale for Stroke Patients, functionality with Functional Reach Test, Timed Up and Go Test, Nine Hole Peg Test and Fugl-Meyer Upper Extremity Motor Rating Scale were assessed by a blind physiotherapist. As a result of the evaluation before and 10 weeks after the treatment, there was no significant difference between the groups in the Berg Balance Scale, Functional Reach Test, Timed Up and Go Test, Nine-Hole Peg Test and Fugl-Meyer Upper Extremity Motor Rating Scale (p>0.05). There was no significant difference between the groups, except for the sub-title of maintaining the posture of the Postural Rating Scale for Stroke Patients (p>0.05). As a result, the treatment protocols applied to both groups gave positive results, but it was not seen that the exercises performed with virtual reality applications were more effective than conventional physiotherapy protocols in the development of balance, postural control and functionality in hemiplegic patients. Keywords: Stroke, Virtual Reality, Balance, Postural Control, Functionality