Using Omnidirectional Virtual Reality and Treadmill Training for Chronic Stroke

Inclusion Criteria

• Age ≥ 18

• Stroke ≥ 6 months ago (confirmed with chart review)

• Living within 50 km of Halifax, Nova Scotia

• Functional Ambulation Category of 3 or greater on a scale of 0-5, to ensure theparticipant is able to walk with supervision or independently. This criterion wasselected to ensure participants could safely participate in the intervention.

• Ability to participate in low-moderate intensity aerobic or strengthening exercisefor ≥ 15 minutes to ensure participants can tolerate intervention sessions of 30-45minutes, with activity breaks, in keeping with previous stroke rehabilitationstudies.

• No uncorrected visual deficits or spatial neglect

• No cardiovascular, orthopedic, or neurological diseases other than stroke impactingwalking or balance

• Can follow simple instructions

• Score of < 27 on the adapted Motion Sickness Susceptibility Scale-Short based onestablished normative values indicating more than moderate susceptibility to motionsickness.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Unstable serious medical condition

• Resting blood pressure >180/100mmHg

• History of abnormal untreated heart rhythm

• Pregnancy

• Condition limiting ability to complete or tolerate the exercises without majorprogram modifications (e.g., chronic low back pain)

• Serious comorbid condition that would affect participation in the intervention (e.g., active cancer, severe heart disease)

• Severe loss of hearing or speech that would preclude VR use

• Participant weight more than 264 lbs (weight limit for Virtualizer Elite 2treadmill)

• Participating in another formal lower limb exercise program > 1 day per week

• History of QT prolongation or using potential QT prolonging drugs