A new virtual reality program for rehabilitating patients after an ischemic stroke has been developed by specialists at Tyumen State Medical University in Russia. Using this program together with a robotic training device creates the sensation of riding a bicycle for the patient. The results were published in the journal Bulletin of Rehabilitation Medicine of the Russian Ministry of Health.

Ischemic stroke occurs when blood flow to the brain is disrupted: cells that do not receive enough blood begin to die rapidly. After a stroke, patients may develop limb paralysis, speech disorders and other long-term complications, the university explained. Researchers emphasized that stroke is one of the leading causes of disability among adults.

University scientists developed a program designed to restore leg function after an ischemic stroke. The method can be used together with a robotic exercise bike as early as the third day after a patient’s condition stabilizes.

The robotic device turns the pedals on its own while the patient’s feet are fixed in place, and at the same time the person wearing VR goggles sees themselves riding a bicycle. According to the researcher, this therapy proved more effective than standard rehabilitation or recovery using augmented-reality gloves.