Extended reality gaming for upper-limb rehabilitation
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Basic science inspired extended reality gaming for upper-limb rehabilitation
IRAS ID
347537
Contact name
Kenneth Valyear
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Bangor University
Duration of Study in the UK
3 years, 0 months, 4 days
Research summary
Stroke is one of the leading causes of long-term disability, and many people are left with lasting weakness in one arm. While research shows that recovery is better when patients use their affected arm more often, many tend to avoid using it—especially in daily life.
This study will develop a new approach to stroke therapy using Extended Reality (XR)—a term that includes virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality (MR). XR games are engaging and can be used from home, making them ideal for supporting longer-term recovery. Unlike traditional therapies focusing on movement practice, our games will target decision-making, aiming to influence which hand patients choose to use.
Research from our lab and others shows that hand choice depends on factors like where you intend to move in space (“target position”), how much effort is required, and how likely you are to succeed. We will use this knowledge to design game features—like how targets are arranged or how points are awarded—to encourage use of the weaker arm.
Participants will play a virtual reality game where they choose which hand to use to touch targets. We will test whether their hand choice:
1. Differs from healthy volunteers (that is, whether it reflects stroke-related impairment),
2. Changes as recovery progresses, and
3. Can be influenced by how the game rewards points.We will also evaluate whether our new methods are practical for clinical use—can patients tolerate them, and are they easy for therapists to deliver? Feedback from patients and therapists will guide and refine future game development.
This work is part of a broader effort to support rehab from home using XR games, aiming to improve patient outcomes, reduce pressure on NHS services, and support sustainable healthcare—especially for rural areas like North Wales.
REC name
Wales REC 7
REC reference
25/WA/0124
Date of REC Opinion
28 Apr 2025
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion