Abstract
First pilot study investigated a possibility of using virtual reality as a supportive therapeutic method in the therapy of incomplete spinal cord lesions. Ten probands (7 men and 3 women) at the age 41-74 years from the Rehabilitation Institude Kladruby who had suffered incomplete spinal cord lesions of different etiology participated in the investigation.
The probands were divided at random in two groups of five subjects, one experimental and other control one. In addition to the common therapeutic plan the patients in the research group followed a therapeutic video by means of a helmet for virtual reality in a total 30 applications, whereas the control group patients underwent only standard methods in a common rehabilitation program.
For objectification of the clinical state before and after examination protocol ASIA (American Spinal Injury Association) impairment scale (AIS). The resulting relative improvement of their conditions after one month stay proved to be 43,93% in the experimental group with the standard deviation 34,71% and coeficient of variation 0,79 as compared with the results of the control group (relative improvement 13,47% with standard deviation 5,0% and coeficient of variation 0,37) indicating a three-fold better result, although significantly less homogeneous.