Virtual Reality Technologies in Therapy for Post-Stroke Emotional Disorders

AIM. To evaluate psychoemotional status and the influence of affective, motivational and asthenic disorders on the efficiency of rehabilitation using virtual reality technologies in patients in the acute period of ischemic stroke. MATERIAL AND METHODS. 160 patients diagnosed with ischemic stroke were examined. Depending on the volume of therapy, the patients were divided into two groups: the 1-st group – 80 patients who received therapy using virtual reality (VR) technologies in addition to basic therapy and standard methods of early rehabilitation; the 2-nd group – 80 patients who received only basic therapy and standard methods of early rehabilitation. Neuropsychological testing was performed on the 4-th day of hospitalisation using scales to assess cognitive function, apathy, aggression, asthenia, depression, and anxiety. From the 5-th day of hospitalisation, patients in the 1-st group underwent VR-therapy for 10 days with evaluation of the dynamics of the main psychoemotional parameters and their impact on the effectiveness of rehabilitation (Δ RE). RESULTS AND DICUSSION. All patients had subclinical depression, clinically expressed anxiety, moderate levels of physical, mental, general asthenia, apathy and physical aggression with prevalence of physical asthenia and the combination of depression/physical aggression in the 1-st group of patients. The greatest comorbidity was found with respect to depression, physical asthenia, anxiety and physical aggression scores. Significant improvement was demonstrated with respect to all indicators except the level of apathy and mental asthenia in both groups and general asthenia in the 2-nd group after therapy. A more significant regression was found with regard to anxiety, general aggression, mental and physical asthenia in the 1-st group of patients. The negative correlation of Δ RE with the level of apathy and the combination of apathy/depression indicated a negative impact of these disorders on the effectiveness of VR - rehabilitation. Positive correlations of Δ RE with the parameters of physical aggression and the combination of anxiety/physical aggression show the expediency of VR-therapy in the rehabilitation of patients with a high level of these emotional disorders. CONCLUSION. The positive effect of VR-intervention on the regression of anxiety, asthenic and aggressive post-stroke disorders determines the prospect of introducing this method into the program of early rehabilitation of patients with ischemic stroke. KEYWORDS: ischemic stroke, emotional disorders, virtual reality, rehabilitation