The effect of task oriented training and virtual reality training on balance, gait and fatigue in individuals with multiple sclerosis

Aim: It is the investigation of the effects of conventional, task-oriented and virtual reality training on balance, walking and fatigue in individuals with MS. Material and method: 64 individuals with MS, aged 18-65, were assigned to virtual reality, task-oriented and conventional training groups with a research randomizer program. All groups, training was given by a physiotherapist for 40 minutes a day, 3 days a week for 8 weeks. Evaluations were made twice, before and after treatment. Balance BBS; fatigue FSS; walking RVGA; Disability status was assessed using EDSS. Results: In the study, an increase in BBS values was observed in all three groups after treatment (p<0.05), but no difference was found between the groups in terms of the amount of change (p>0.05). While there was a significant decrease in FSS in all three groups (p<0.05), a significant difference was seen in the virtual reality compared to the other groups in the intergroup comparison (p<0.05). There was no significant change in EDSS and RVGA in all three groups (p>0.05). Conclusion: Virtual reality; It was found to be more effective in reducing fatigue than other groups. It was observed that all three trainings did not cause improvement in disability and walking, and this effect was similar. In terms of balance, it was seen that all three trainings were effective and this effect was similar. We think that all three trainings can be used as alternative treatment methods to improve balance, and that virtual reality is more preferable in terms of fatigue. Keywords: Balance, Disability status, Task-oriented training, Multiple Sclerosis, Virtual reality training, Fatigue, Walking