Ideation, validity, and practicality of using virtual reality to conduct the Wolf Motor Function Test for upper limb stroke patients.

Abstract

In this study, 11 subjects between the ages of 19 and 35 years old performed tasks selected from the official Wolf Motor Function Test (WMFT) – Hand to Table, Hand to Box, and Lift Can. Subjects performed the tasks in randomized orders under the following conditions: with the non-dominant hand in the natural and virtual environments, with the dominant hand in the traditional and virtual environments, and with visual feedback in the virtual environment. The purpose of this study is to determine the practicality of utilizing virtual reality for upper limb therapy and assessment, and the results that will be presented are promising to support the practicality of its use. Overall, no significant learning effect is found when using VR equipment. There is no significant difference between performance in the virtual and traditional environments, between the dominant and non-dominant hand performance, and difference between normal VR versus VR with visual feedback.