Accepted for/Published in: Journal of Medical Internet Research
Date Submitted: Jan 2, 2023
Date Accepted: Jun 9, 2023
Date Submitted to PubMed: Jul 25, 2023
Do patients with severe acquired brain injury benefit from Telerehabilitation? Promising results from a multicentric randomised controlled trial using non-immersive virtual Reality.
ABSTRACT
Background:
In neurorehabilitation the use of innovative technologies offers many opportunities to monitor and to improve the health status of patients with acquired brain injury (SABI) patients. Telerehabilitation allows for continuity of service through the entire rehabilitation cycle including assessment, intervention, consultation and education, affording early reintegration and positively enhancing quality of life.
Objective:
The main purpose of this multicenter randomised control trial was to test the effect of an advanced training with a virtual reality rehabilitation system (i.e., the VRRS-Home-Kit device) in improving functional outcomes in patients affected by SABI.
Methods:
Forty SABI patients and their caregivers attending two Italian rehabilitation Centres, were enrolled in the study protocol and randomised in two groups. Twenty patients received the experimental training using the VRRS-HomeKit (Tele-Neuro VRRS) whereas the other twenty were submitted to usual territorial rehabilitative treatments (UTRT).
Results:
The experimental group achieved a statistically significant improvement concerning both general and motor outcomes, as well as psychological well-being and quality of life, as compared to the control group. In particular, Barthel Index (p <0.0001), Frontal Assessment Battery (p <0.0001), and Beck Depression Inventory (p <0.0001) were the outcome scales with the best improvement. The burden of caregivers also significantly improved in the Teleneuro-VRRS group (CBI, p <0.0004).
Conclusions:
Our results suggest that VRRS is a suitable alternative and/or complementary tool to improve functional outcomes and reduce levels of anxiety and depression symptoms in SABI patients with a reduction of caregivers’ burden distress Clinical Trial: RCT (NCT03709875) registered on clinicaltrial.com
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