Gulcan K. et al. The effects of augmented and virtual reality gait training on balance and gait in patients with Parkinson’s disease. Acta Neurologica Belgica. 2023;123:1917–1925. DOI: 10.1007/s13760-022-02147-0
This randomised controlled trial included 30 patients with Parkinson’s disease: 15 received AR/VR gait training plus standard therapy, and 15 received standard therapy alone. Training ran three times a week for 6 weeks. Mean age was about 63.5 years, disease duration about 8 years, and mean Hoehn & Yahr stage 3.
Role of HUBER 360
HUBER 360 Evolution was not the therapeutic intervention. The intervention was AR/VR gait training. HUBER was used to quantify static and dynamic balance.
- Stability Test — centre-of-pressure sway on two legs and one leg, eyes open and closed;
- Limits of Stability — weight transfer in eight directions to quantify stability limits.
What the measurements showed
After 6 weeks of AR/VR training, UPDRS-III, posturography, Berg Balance Scale, ABC confidence, spatiotemporal gait parameters and TUG improved. In the control group, BBS, ABC and some spatial gait parameters improved, but posturography, temporal gait parameters and TUG did not change substantially.
The clinical takeaway is diagnostic: HUBER 360 Evolution can quantify postural control in Parkinson’s disease and track change regardless of the therapy being used.