Comparison of Training in Virtual Environment With and Without Physiotherapeutic Intervention in Chronic Stroke Patients

Balance Evaluation Systems Test (BESTest) measures balance. It includes 36 items that evaluate performance of 6 balance systems: biomechanical constraints, stability limits/verticality, anticipatory postural adjustments, postural responses, sensory orientation, and stability in gait.

FMA-LE is a subscale measuring lower limb motor recovery. It examines movement and coordination of the hip, knee, and ankle in the supine, sitting, and standing positions. Each item is scored on a 3-point scale (0, cannot perform; 1, partially performs; 2, performs fully). The score range is 0 to 34, with higher scores indicating better lower limb motor performance

The 6MWT is a practical simple test. This test measures the distance that a patient can quickly walk on a flat, hard surface in a period of 6 minutes (the 6MWD). The 6MWT has been used as a measure of functional status of patients.

The Limits of Stability subtest quantifies the maximum distance a person can intentionally displace their center of pressure (COP) from start position of midline COP centered over the base of support to eight targets. Location and movement of the COP was indicated by a cursor display projected on a screen in front of the subject. As targets were highlighted, the subject was to move the COP cursor quickly and accurately as possible towards a target located on the Limits of Stability perimeter and hold position as close to the target as possible. The parameters include COP movement velocity and directional control (% to target).

The Rhythmic Weight Shift quantifies the subject's active weight shift ability by moving the COP cursor to match velocity and direction of a moving visual target in the medial- lateral (ML) and anterior-posterior (AP) directions at three different velocities.

Stroke Quality of Life Scale is a self-report assessment that includes 12 stroke subscales with 49 items. The Stroke Specific Quality of Life Scale attempts to capture the domains of stroke QOL that are insufficiently assessed with generic QOL measures. The 12 subscales, which are unidimensional, are Energy, Family Role, Language, Mobility, Mood, Personality, Self-Care, Social Roles, Thinking, Upper Extremity Function, Vision, and Work-Productivity. Participants responded to each item on a 5-point scale. Domain scores are the averages of the item scores, and the total score is the average of the domain scores. All summary scores therefore range from 1 to 5. Higher scores indicate better function.