The Effectiveness of Virtual Reality Nintendo Wii Exergaming and Body Supported Treadmill Training in Improving Lower Limb Voluntary Movements, Balance and Gait Among Post-Stroke Patients – A Comparative Pilot Study

Abstract

Objective: To determine the feasibility and preliminary effectiveness of VR Nintendo Wii Exergaming and BWSTT in improving lower limb voluntary movements, balance, and gait among post-stroke patients.
Methods: A randomized pilot study was conducted among 30 post-stroke patients recruited from a tertiary rehabilitation center. Participants were randomly allocated into three groups: Control Group (Conventional Physiotherapy), Experimental Group I (VR Nintendo Wii Exergaming + Conventional Physiotherapy), and Experimental Group II (BWSTT + Conventional Physiotherapy), with 10 participants in each group. Interventions were administered five days per week for eight weeks. Outcome measures included Fugl-Meyer Assessment–Lower Extremity (FMA-LE), Berg Balance Scale (BBS), and Timed Up and Go Test (TUG). Data were analyzed using repeated measures ANOVA and post hoc comparisons.
Results: Significant improvements were observed in all groups (p<0.05). Experimental Group I demonstrated the greatest improvement in FMA-LE (18.8±2.4 to 29.6±2.7), BBS (29.4±4.8 to 46.3±4.1), and TUG (31.2±5.1 to 18.4±3.6 seconds). BWSTT also showed significant gains, whereas conventional physiotherapy produced comparatively smaller improvements. Between-group analysis revealed statistically significant superiority of VR Nintendo Wii Exergaming over conventional therapy (p<0.01).
Conclusion: The pilot study supports the feasibility and effectiveness of VR Nintendo Wii Exergaming and BWSTT in post-stroke rehabilitation. VR Nintendo Wii Exergaming demonstrated the most favorable outcomes and warrants further investigation in a larger randomized controlled trial.