Objective: The study aims to determine design considerations for a virtual reality-based therapy targeting motor disabilities of Parkinson disease (PD) patients.

Background: PD has the fastest growing prevalence among neurodegenerative disorders, partly due to population aging. In the Philippines, prevalence is estimated at less than 1% in the general population of around 118 million individuals. Despite being the most common movement disorder in the country, access to rehabilitation remains limited due to high costs, health inequities, and limited availability of standard care. Therefore, additional therapeutic options must be explored. One approach is the use of immersive gamification technology systems (ImGTS), which may provide a non-invasive and engaging means of improving balance, gait, and quality of life among PD patients. This study features the initial findings of the development of a virtual reality-based rehabilitation therapy for PD tailored to the Filipino patient.

Method: A focus group discussion (FGD) was implemented involving a multidisciplinary team of experts and patient caregivers. The experts represented various fields such as physical therapy, occupational therapy, game development, movement disorders, and rehabilitation medicine.

Results: The FGD results indicated that ImGTS was generally perceived as a feasible therapeutic option. The following features were recommended for the virtual reality–based activities: familiar and traditional Filipino elements and values, user training, and implementation in centers rather than homes. Potential challenges in using ImGTS in PD were also identified in the FGD. These included cost, need for technical support, complexity of setup, connectivity issues, and health and safety concerns. Proposed solutions to these were using commercially available hardware, conducting training prior to the use of the technology, and customizing games to patient profiles.

Conclusion: These considerations informed the iterative design process for the ImGTS prototype and provided a basis for a Phase 1 clinical trial.

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MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/designing-a-virtual-reality-based-rehabilitation-therapy-for-parkinson-disease/