A Post-Stroke Rehabilitation System With Compensatory Movement Detection Using Virtual Reality and Electroencephalogram Technologies

Abstract

Stroke is a leading cause of global population mortality and disability, imposing burdens on patients and caregivers, and significantly affecting the quality of life of patients. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to explore the application of virtual reality technology in physical therapy by using immersive interactive training and designing rehabilitation modes for individual and group settings. We also aimed to provide patients with stroke with a comprehensive home-based rehabilitation and treatment plan, ultimately enhancing training effectiveness. Patients can engage in home-based rehabilitation through this system and undergo functional, mirror, and constraint-induced therapies tailored to different task contents. Simultaneously, using brain-computer interface technology, an emotion analysis mechanism was designed to map the patients' brainwave signal data onto a two-dimensional space of positive-negative valence arousal; this approach can enable remote physical therapists to discern the patients' emotional states during the rehabilitation process through virtual spaces, facilitating timely adjustments to rehabilitation tasks. Moreover, to prevent compromised effectiveness owing to improper training postures leading to compensation, the system offers real-time identification and recording, promptly issuing alerts when compensation occurs. The system provides a multiuser virtual rehabilitation space, enabling timely corrections and data observations, offering patients with stroke a home-based rehabilitation program, thereby realizing a localized aging care model.