Virtual reality (VR) may be a promising tool in the rehab toolbox for people with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), according to a recent review published in the International Journal of Neuroscience.
While medications and physical therapy play an important role in treating Duchenne, they don’t always provide enough help, especially for patients with severe muscle tissue damage.
VR, which creates three-dimensional, dynamic and interactive digital environments, is now being explored to help support movement therapy, improve breathing and reduce isolation.
“In recent years, the emergence of VR technology has brought new possibilities for the rehabilitation of patients with DMD, which is more attractive and richly interesting than traditional methods and deserves further exploration,” the review’s authors noted.
Studies show that patients with DMD can get better at movement tasks through repeated practice in VR games, like guiding a virtual ball through a maze. The more they played, the better they performed.
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Lifting and rotating the arms is a challenge with DMD. A few small studies suggest that VR gaming combined with dynamic arm supports (mechanical devices designed to support weak arm muscles) may help slow down the loss of arm mobility and strength in boys with DMD.
Breathing becomes harder with DMD, and VR games that focus on respiratory training may be beneficial. A few studies have found improvements in breathing following computerized respiratory muscle training, but more research is needed.
Being unable to move easily can make it hard to socialize. VR worlds like Second Life® enable users to interact with other people through avatars and talk to each other using built-in typing or voice chat features.
The authors noted that VR’s benefits have limitations. “Although VR has a role to play in improving patients’ social functioning, it cannot essentially solve the challenges that patients face in real life, and future development of VR-based socialization systems should be dedicated to supporting people to lead fulfilling lives in reality,” the study’s authors said.
The authors also noted that while VR and computer tasks might seem fun or helpful, they should be used with caution to avoid placing extra strain on an already weakened heart. In one study, researchers compared changes in heart rate variability — a measure of how the heart responds to stress — between people with DMD and those without during a short computer game. They found that the DMD group experienced a greater drop in heart rate variability, suggesting their hearts were under more stress during the activity.
Although the use of VR technology in DMD rehabilitation treatment comes with its challenges, the authors of the review believe that its therapeutic and rehabilitative benefits should be further explored.
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