Feasibility of the Virtuix Omni Treadmill in an Older Adult Population
Research type
Research Study
Full title
An evaluation of the safety, usability and acceptability of exergaming, virtual reality and the Virtuix Omni treadmill in the older adult population
IRAS ID
187902
Contact name
Suzanne McDonough
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Ulster University
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 4 months, 0 days
Research summary
Background
Falls are a leading cause of injury in older adults, leading to loss of independence and placing strain on the individual, their family, and health and social care providers. Evidence indicates that appropriate strength and balance exercise programmes can reduce the risk of falling by up to 42%; with interventions of more than 50 hours completed over at least 6 months producing the largest benefit. Older adults face various physical and social constraints contributing to poor adherence and participation in falls prevention interventions. The Virtuix Omni treadmill is an omni-directional gaming platform that may provide a safe, accessible means for even frail users to walk, change direction, and perform three-dimensional movements whilst fully supported; however, it needs to first be tested to assess and evaluate its safety, usability and acceptability in this population.
Study design
This is a feasibility study to assess the safety, usability and acceptability of the Virtuix Omni Treadmill and Oculus Rift virtual reality (VR) headset in healthy and frail older adults.
Methods
The study population consists of older people living relatively independently in the community. Thirty participants will be recruited via local day centres. They will be allocated into sub-groups according to their level of physical function. Each eligible participant will attend two visits to assess the use of the Omni treadmill both with and without the use of virtual reality headset. A qualitative exploration of participants’ perception of the Omni treadmill will also be examined.
Results
As a feasibility study, treatment effects will not be measured or reported. The assessment of participant satisfaction will be recorded, as will any recorded difficulties or adverse events experienced by the participants or therapists. This information will be used to modify a future trial investigating its effectiveness.REC name
HSC REC A
REC reference
15/NI/0217
Date of REC Opinion
15 Dec 2015
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion