UPPER LIMB FUNCTIONAL INDEPENDENCE IN SUBACUTE STROKE PATIENTS: A STUDY PROTOCOL INVESTIGATING THE IMPACT OF HAPTIC ENHANCED VIRTUAL REALITY SYSTEM

Background: Stroke is the primary reason for prolonged disability, which results in hemiparesis, thus, causing considerable difficulties in carrying out the activities of daily living (ADLs). The individuals with sub-acute stroke, who will undergo virtual reality (VR)-based physiotherapy will experience the real world in a virtual environment during the management of upper extremity(UE) function. Addition of haptic gloves to the VR-based rehabilitation provides force feedback. This study aims to evaluate the level to which the combination of haptic enhanced VR and conventional physiotherapy, compared to conventional physiotherapy alone, reinforces the UE functional recovery in the subjects with sub-acute stroke. Methods: The participants (n = 80) with sub-acute stroke will be included in a single-blinded, randomized controlled trial. Participants will be categorised into either a control group or an intervention group after performing baseline assessments and randomization. The participants in the control group will be given only conventional physiotherapy, and those in the intervention group will be given both haptic enhanced VR based physiotherapy and conventional physiotherapy. In the rehabilitation period, we will evaluate the function, motor recovery, functional independence and (ADLs) of the UE. Discussion: Efficacy of the intervention is evaluated by analysing the motor function of the UE using the UE components of the Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA-UE) scale, and the level of disability using Functional Independence Measure (FIM). The results from the study will significantly provide affirmation on the application of haptic enhanced VR based physiotherapy on the patients with sub-acute stroke.