People who have suffered a stroke are at high risk of suffering from oropharyngeal dysphagia with long and intensive exercise programmes. Early access to treatment and engaging therapies is very important for recovery. Immersive virtual reality technology presents an innovative treatment that could help patients improve swallowing. The aim of this study is to improve swallowing in stroke patients using two bespoke immersive virtual reality treatment with real-time feedback. The study consisted in a small feasibility study with stroke patients suffering dysphagia (n = 6, aged of 39 to 80 (M=71.17, SD=15.94). Results obtained through interviews with the patients indicated no discomfort reported during the game. All patients reported enjoying the game and feeling engaged and immersive and four out of six patients reported that they would like to use it every day as part of their Speech and Language therapy. The SALT assistant involved in the study stated that the system had the potential to encourage patients to swallow, being more functional than conventional speech therapy. She identified improvements needed for a better functioning of the VR rehabilitation system for Dysphagia. In a future study, wireless headsets will be used, without a laptop, and it will be important to improve the reliability and design of the strain gauge or innovate in the use of a different technology.
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AI-rewrites the medical criteria so a patient or caregiver can understand them. Always confirm with the trial site.
Feasibility of the system. Semi-structure Interviews with patients and staffs. Qualitative outcomes.
Timeframe: 10 to 40 minutes interviews
Feasibility of the system. Semi-structure Interviews with patients. Quantitative outcomes.
Timeframe: 10 to 40 minutes interviews