Objective: This study aimed to assess balance and vestibular rehabilitation using virtual reality (VR) in patients with Hereditary Spastic Paraplegias (HSP).
Background: HSP constitute a group of neurodegenerative diseases involving the corticospinal tracts, characterized by distinct spasticity and weakness in the lower extremities.
Method: It is an experimental study, a randomized clinical trial involving sixteen patients with HSP, distributed and randomized into groups GI (balance exercises) and GII (balance exercises and muscle strength exercises). The following procedures were performed: medical history, otorhinolaryngological examination, labyrinthine evaluation, and application of the Berg Balance Scale (BBS) and Physiological Profile Assessment (PPA) protocols, before and after rehabilitation with VR. Assessments were conducted at T0 (baseline), T1 (intermediate), and T2 (final).
Results: The BBS did not show significant results in the comparison between groups GI and GII or when compared to the games performed. The PPA showed significant results (p<0.005) between T0 and T2, indicating that rehabilitation improved balance and reduced the risk of falls. VR demonstrated significant results (p≤0.005) for all applied games.
Conclusion: The results underscored that the assessment with BBS and PPA before and after the intervention represented an important tool in analyzing balance, simultaneously related to the risk of falls, contributing to quantify the impact of the applied therapy. This reinforces the effectiveness of using VR as an assertive therapy for these patients. Rehabilitation through VR provides improvement in motor coordination and performance of activities of daily living, allowing independence and quality of life for patients affected by this progressive neurodegenerative disease.
To cite this abstract in AMA style:
G. Dos Santos, M. Severiano, C. de Araújo, F. Magno, B. Zeigelboim, H. Teive. Balance evaluation and vestibular rehabilitation in patients with Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia – randomized clinical trial [abstract]. Mov Disord. 2024; 39 (suppl 1). https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/balance-evaluation-and-vestibular-rehabilitation-in-patients-with-hereditary-spastic-paraplegia-randomized-clinical-trial/. Accessed June 14, 2025.« Back to 2024 International Congress
MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/balance-evaluation-and-vestibular-rehabilitation-in-patients-with-hereditary-spastic-paraplegia-randomized-clinical-trial/