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- A virtual reality bus ride as an ecologically valid assessment of balance: a feasibility studyPublication . Gonçalves, A.; Montoya, M. F.; Llorens, R.; Bermúdez i Badia, S.Balance disorders can have substantial adverse implications on the performance of daily activities and lead to an increased risk of falls, which often have severe negative consequences for older adults. Quantitative assessment through computer ized force plate-based posturography enables objective assessment of postural control but could not successfully represent specifc abilities required during daily activities. The use of virtual reality (VR) could improve the representative design of functional activities and increase the ecological validity of posturographic tests, which would enhance the transferability of results to the real world. In this work, we investigate the feasibility of a simulated bus ride experienced in a surround-screen VR system to assess balance with increased ecological validity. Participants were frst evaluated with a posturography test and then with the VR-based bus ride test, while the reactions of their centre of pressure were registered. Lastly, participants provided self-reported measures of the elicited sense of presence during the test. A total of 16 healthy young adults completed the study. Results showed that the simulation could elicit signifcant medial–lateral excursions of the centre of pressure in response to variations in the optical fow. Furthermore, these responses’ amplitude negatively correlated with the participants’ posturography excursions when fxating a target. Although the sense of presence was moderate, likely due to the passive nature of the test, the results support the feasibility of our proposed paradigm, based in the context of a meaningful daily living activity, in assessing balance control components.
- A virtual reality bus ride as an ecologically valid assessment of balance: a feasibility studyPublication . Gonçalves, A. R.; Montoya, M. F.; Llorens, R.; Bermúdez i Badia, S.Balance disorders can lead to severe consequences for older adults. Computerized posturography offers an objective assessment of balance, and VR can help to increase its ecological validity. We investigate to what extent a posturographic VR bus ride is ecologically valid and suitable to assess balance. Sixteen healthy adult participants underwent the VR bus ride. Participants felt a moderate level of presence, and the simulation elicited significant postural changes responses, which correlated with validated posturography assessments of the participants. The results support the viability of our tool for balance assessment in the context of a meaningful activity.