The Effect of Video Games Virtual Reality Environment on Motor Function of Children with Cerebral Palsy

Virtual reality (VR) is an attempt to remove the boundaries between real and virtual space. It is a computer environment that mimics real-world scenarios and, of course, a fun platform that can be appealing to children with cerebral palsy. The present study aims to investigate the effect of video games in a virtual reality environment on motor function of children with cerebral palsy.

The method of this study was quasi-experimental with pre-test and post-test with a control group. Thirty patients with cerebral palsy were selected in Tabriz city in 2019 and were divided into two groups of experimental and control (15 in each). The experimental group received 20 minutes of 45-minute sessions using video games in virtual reality environments; however, the control group did not receive any intervention. In the end, to evaluate the differences, the above test (post-test) was performed again for both groups. Data were analyzed by SPSS-23 software. In addition to descriptive statistics, multivariate analysis of covariance was used to analyze the data.

The data analysis showed that video games in a virtual reality environment had a significant effect on the motor function of children with cerebral palsy (p<0/01).

According to the results of this research, it can be concluded that virtual reality video games can be used as a complementary therapy along with other conventional treatments for people with cerebral palsy.