Friedreich's ataxia (FA) is a rare hereditary neurodegenerative disease which manifests neurologically by a coordination disorder affecting balance and dexterity, a speech disorder, a reduction in deep tendon reflexes, reduction /loss of pallesthesia (vibratory sensation) and proprioception and eye movement abnormalities. At the moment, there are no biomarkers to quantify the severity of the disease, so clinical scales are the only methods used to measure the severity of FA. Existing clinical scales for assessing FA severity quickly reach a plateau when patients lose the ability to walk, and they rely on the examiner to quantify ataxia. Therefore, more objective tools are needed to complement the neurological examination and distinguish subtle changes in ataxia over time. Using virtual reality (VR), we aim to develop accurate tools to measure the severity of FA, without the need for FA patients to be ambulant. The aim of this study was to develop a series of 5 motor tasks and 3 oculomotor tasks in VR and evaluate them with patients with FA to determine if they were tolerated, if they could distinguish patients with FA from a control group and whether they correlated with clinical measures. Twelve FA patients and nine healthy participants underwent traditional assessment of upper limb function and FA severity (for patients only), performed the series of 5 motor tasks and 3 oculomotor tasks in VR, and completed a subjective evaluation. Although all patients were able to complete the oculomotor tasks, only 6 of the 12 FA patients were able to successfully complete all upper limb tasks, primarily due to the challenges of manipulating the controllers for the patients in advanced stages of FA. Different measures of task performance were significantly different between groups and had strong correlations with a clinical rating scale. All participants reported a very low sensation of motion sickness in the simulator and a strong sense of virtual presence. The results of this study demonstrate the feasibility of the use of VR with patients with FA, although adaptations of the technology may be necessary for patients with more severe impairment.
| Date | 29 Jul 2024 |
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| Original language | French |
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| Awarding Institution | - École de technologie supérieure
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| Supervisor | David Labbé (Supervisor) & Antoine Duquette (Co-supervisor) |
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Chénier, K. (Author),
Labbé (Supervisor) & Duquette (Co-supervisor),
29 Jul 2024Student thesis: Master's thesis › Master in Engineering: Engineering