To see or not to see: Does foot visualization in immersive virtual reality influence gait parameters of youths with neuromotor impairments when performing walking-related activities?

IF 2.2 3区 医学 Q3 NEUROSCIENCES Gait & posture Pub Date : 2025-03-10 DOI:10.1016/j.gaitpost.2025.03.004
Corinne Ammann-Reiffer , Andrina Kläy , Sophia Rhiel , Urs Keller , Hubertus J.A. van Hedel
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Abstract

Background

Immersive virtual reality (VR) experienced through a head-mounted display (HMD) offers the possibility to practice real-world situations in a safe and motivating way in pediatric neurorehabilitation. As the HMD blocks the view of the physical world, patients lack visual feedback of their body parts. Foot visualization in the virtual environment could inform patients about their feet’s position during walking-related activities.

Research question

How does foot visualization affect spatial gait parameters of youths with neuromotor gait impairments during everyday walking tasks with an immersive VR-HMD?

Methods

In this cross-sectional study, 15 youths with neuromotor gait impairments (mean age 12.3 years) performed four walking-related tasks wearing the VR-HMD Meta Quest 2. Walking through the virtual environment, they had to place their feet as accurately as possible on bollards, step over a plank, balance over a beam, and cross a gap. We used a Vicon motion capture system to assess spatial gait parameters when the participants could not see their feet and when a real-time virtual model of their feet was integrated into the virtual environment.

Results

In the bollard task, foot visualization had a large positive effect (Hedges’ g = 0.82) on the foot placement accuracy, with a reduction in deviation from the bollard center from 12.1 cm (IQR: 16 cm) to 6.5 cm (IQR: 5.1 cm) (p < 0.001). Further, the maximum step height of the leading foot when overstepping the plank decreased by 2.9 cm (g = 0.4, p = 0.05). Foot visualization did not influence the spatial gait parameters when balancing over a beam or crossing a gap.

Significance

Pediatric patients who practice walking-related activities with an immersive VR-HMD can benefit from foot visualization, as it increases foot placement accuracy for certain tasks. However, technical solutions have to become simpler for the clinical implementation of foot visualization.
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来源期刊
Gait & posture
Gait & posture 医学-神经科学
CiteScore
4.70
自引率
12.50%
发文量
616
审稿时长
6 months
期刊介绍: Gait & Posture is a vehicle for the publication of up-to-date basic and clinical research on all aspects of locomotion and balance. The topics covered include: Techniques for the measurement of gait and posture, and the standardization of results presentation; Studies of normal and pathological gait; Treatment of gait and postural abnormalities; Biomechanical and theoretical approaches to gait and posture; Mathematical models of joint and muscle mechanics; Neurological and musculoskeletal function in gait and posture; The evolution of upright posture and bipedal locomotion; Adaptations of carrying loads, walking on uneven surfaces, climbing stairs etc; spinal biomechanics only if they are directly related to gait and/or posture and are of general interest to our readers; The effect of aging and development on gait and posture; Psychological and cultural aspects of gait; Patient education.
期刊最新文献
Comparison of balance performance, gait, foot function, lower extremity biomechanical alignment and muscle strength in individuals with unilateral and bilateral plantar fasciitis Corrigendum to “Effects of short foot exercise combined with lower extremity training on dynamic foot function in individuals with flexible flatfoot: A randomized controlled trial” [Gait & Posture 104 (2023) 109–115/doi: 10.1016/j.gaitpost.2023.06.013. Epub 2023 Jun 22] To see or not to see: Does foot visualization in immersive virtual reality influence gait parameters of youths with neuromotor impairments when performing walking-related activities? A scoping review on the current state of sex- and gender-based analysis (SGBA) in standing balance research Corrigendum to figure legend in “The effect of prosthetic alignment on lower limb kinetics in people with a transtibial bone-anchored prosthesis: An experimental within-subject study” [Gait Posture 117 (2025) 274–282]
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