A Pilot Study Evaluating Balance in Individuals with Acquired Brain Injury Training on the C-mill Virtual Reality Treadmill

Research Objectives: To determine the effect of a VR balance intervention to improve balance deficits and balance confidence. Virtual reality (VR) treadmill therapies aimed at improving balance deficits and balance confidence for individuals with acquired brain injuries (ABI) are increasingly being integrated into physical therapists’ treatment plans. These novel VR treadmills such as the C-Mill can provide objective data to physical therapists and seem to motivate patients through the gamification of therapy. While VR based rehabilitation is known to be engaging, it has not been evaluated extensively in individuals with ABI.

Design: Cross-sectional pilot study. Follow-up assessment two weeks after the final training session.

Setting: Rusk Rehabilitation at NYU Langone Ambulatory Care Center.

Participants: Four individuals with ABI.

Interventions: All patients completed a baseline assessment, 12 training sessions over 4 weeks on the C-Mill, and a follow-up assessment. Objective fall risk was assessed using the Silver Index (Hunova robotic balance platform) while the Activities-Specific Balance Confidence Scale (ABC) was used to measure balance confidence at baseline and follow-up.

Main Outcome Measures: Objective fall risk, balance confidence.

Results: At baseline, subjects had a mean fall risk score of 70.5% ± 20.9% which improved to 45.5% ± 23.0% at the final assessment. At baseline, subjects had a mean ABC score of 48.8% ±7.2% which improved to 65.1% ±18.8 at the final assessment.

Conclusions: This pilot study demonstrates that the VR C-Mill treadmill may be used to improve balance deficits in individuals with ABI.

Author(s) Disclosures: The authors declare no conflicts of interest.