Findings from an SMSR-funded project into the use of immersive virtual reality (VR) games to improve upper limb movement in people with tetraplegia have shown that both patients and therapists have found this additional therapeutic intervention usable in a clinical setting. 

The challenge with traditional rehabilitation alone, is to keep people motivated to adhere to exercises that are intensive, but highly repetitive and found to be tedious. This study has shown that that the VR games enabled and motivated participants to complete larger numbers of movement repetitions in shorter amounts of time, potentially speeding up and improving their recovery. 

The games were developed and tested by Andrew Goodsell, a PhD student at Glasgow Caledonian University, funded by SMSR.  

Photo: A screen shot from an archery VR game, designed to encourage bending of the elbow.