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Previous research has shown that individuals behave differently in certain virtual reality tasks. The effect of VR on human posture and stability is an important factor that can influence the future applications of VR devices. This current study seeks to investigate how a person’s postural stability differs between VR and normal environment while attempting to replicate the influence of target distance on sway. Ten healthy subjects were tested in both environments with targets varying in distance. The results found a significant difference in postural stability for normal anatomical stance tasks between VR and normal environments.
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Incorporation of a smart sock with the virtual immersive test for postural stability
Purpose of Study Assessment of an individual's postural stability serves as an indirect measure for both physiological and biomechanical stresses placed on an individual. More recently, some individuals after COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) infection have been identified with neurological complaints (Post-Acute Sequelae of Covid - PASC). These individuals can also be predisposed to decreased postural stability and an increased risk for falls. The purpose of the project was to incorporate two different wearable technology (virtual reality (VR) based virtual immersive sensorimotor test - VIST and pressure senor-based smart sock) to assess postural stability among healthy and individuals with PASC to quantify the overall status of the postural control system. Methods Used All methods were conducted based on the University's Institutional Review Board (IRB# 21-296) with informed consent. A total of 12 males and females (six healthy and six with self-reported complaints of PASC) have completed the study so far. All participants were tested using the VIST, while standing on a force platform and wearing the smart sock simultaneously. The (VIST uses a VR headset and proprietary software to test an individual's integrated sensory, motor, and cognitive processes through eight unique tests (smooth pursuits, saccades, convergence, peripheral vision, object discrimination, gaze stability, head-eye coordination, cervical neuromotor control). Center of pressure (COP) data from force platform and pressure sensor data from the smart socks were used to calculate anterior-posterior and medial-lateral postural sway variables. These postural sway variables were analyzed using an independent samples t-test between the healthy and PASC groups at an alpha set at 0.05. Summary of
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- Award ID(s):
- 1827652
- PAR ID:
- 10437677
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- The American Journal of the Medical Sciences 2023 Southern Regional Meeting
- Volume:
- 365
- Issue:
- Supplement 1
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- S89-S90
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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- Free Publicly Accessible Full Text
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Accepted Manuscript1.0
- Conference Paper:
- https://doi.org/10.1016/S0002-9629(23)00177-5
