Virtual reality could help with balance, mobility, study finds

Virtual reality could be an effective form of rehabilitation for long-term dizziness caused by vision changes, which can affect balance and mobility, according to the results of a new study.For the research, 20 healthy women and men at Lund University in Sweden watched a virtual reality simulation of a roller coaster ride while standing on a platform that helped scientists see how their balance was affected when they had a strong sensation of moving. The investigators learned that the human balance system can very quickly adapt to rely on senses other than vision — such as sensory information from feet, joints and muscles — to increase postural stability.“We know that older people, to a greater extent than young people, use vision to maintain postural stability. The lessons from this study will, therefore, be an important incentive to introduce new training methods for the older — for example using VR technology to prevent falls,” said Eva Ekvall Hansson, Ph.D., a researcher and associate professor of physiotherapy at Lund University.