Defense Date
2025
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy
Department
Health Related Sciences
First Advisor
Virginia Chu, PhD, OTR
Second Advisor
Alison Lichy, PhD, PT
Third Advisor
Christine Reid, PhD, CRC
Fourth Advisor
James Thomas, PhD, PT
Abstract
Motor recovery of the arm following a neurological injury is a common goal of the rehabilitation process for individuals impacted by the condition . Due to the long-term functional implications of impaired arm movement, individuals are often trained to use compensatory strategies to complete functional tasks without incorporating the weakened limb. While compensatory strategies offer stroke survivors the opportunity to regain a level of independence, such approaches fail to directly address the underlying causes of the disability (i.e., limited range of motion, decreased strength, poor coordination, motor planning difficulties) which can unfortunately result in long-term impairment and functional disability.
Motor recovery following stroke is a multi-factorial process involving genetic, physiological, environmental, and therapeutic elements, yet this study addresses the utility of immersive Virtual Reality (VR) to encourage real-world hemiplegic arm activation. The intervention entailed the use of immersive VR, in conjunction with task-specific training, to address arm motor impairment and to measure the extent of hemiplegic arm activation in a real-world setting.
The long-term objective of this project was to contribute to rehabilitation science by quantifying hemiplegic arm movement in settings outside of the clinic in response to immersive VR and task-specific training. Most investigations into the therapeutic use of immersive VR for stroke recovery have involved several weeks of VR exposure and primarily clinic-based measurement of motor performance. This study tested the impact of an intensive short-term VR intervention on movement of the hemiplegic arm outside the clinical setting.
Rights
© The Author
Is Part Of
VCU University Archives
Is Part Of
VCU Theses and Dissertations
Date of Submission
12-10-2025