Virtual reality aids Parkinson’s patients

Using virtual reality headsets while walking on a treadmill creates a specific change in the brain activity of Parkinson’s patients that dramatically reduces the number of falls, according to researchers at Tel Aviv’s Sourasky Medical Center.

Virtual reality uses earphones and special sealed goggles worn over the eyes to generate realistic images, sounds and other sensations. A person using virtual reality equipment is able to look 360 degrees around the artificial world and even interact with virtual objects or individuals.

Studies conducted at Sourasky last year found that Parkinson’s patients who participated in walking training on a treadmill in a virtual environment experienced a significantly greater decline in the number of falls than those walking on a treadmill without virtual reality.

Now, a study published in the prestigious journal Neurology by Sourasky’s Center for the Study of Movement, Cognition and Mobility in the neurology department provides the explanation.

Using functional MRI, the researchers found that there is a change in the pattern of brain activity in patients who walked in a virtual environment that could not otherwise be achieved.

Parkinson’s is a chronic, incurable degenerative disorder of the central nervous system whose symptoms begin with tremors, rigidity, slowness of movement and difficulty walking. Cognitive problems usually follow.

Sourasky researchers Dr. Anat Mirelman, Dr. Inbal Meidan and Prof. Jeff Hausdorff demonstrated that patients with the neurological disease who participated in virtual-walkway training demonstrated greater improvement in walking speed while overcoming obstacles. The improvement was consistent with their brain activity changes, which included decreased activity in brain regions responsible for thinking processes, planning and management functions.

“Our findings reinforce the hypothesis that cognitive-motor training creates plastic changes in specific brain networks, reducing the need for compensatory mechanisms and enabling more efficient functioning. They have important implications for choosing the type of training that is appropriate for different patients to improve walking and reduce falling. Even in the presence of neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s, exercise can change the brain in a positive way and improve their daily functioning,” Mirelman said.