Highlighting hybridization: a case report of virtual reality-augmented interventions to improve chronic post-stroke recovery

Rationale: Cerebrovascular accident, or stroke, is a leading cause of serious long-term disability, and incidence is expected to continue rising in the coming years. Stroke-related disability can manifest as motor, sensory, or cognitive impairment, and although current therapies can improve these impairments, many stroke patients are still left with reduced abilities and struggle to maintain independence in their daily lives. Virtual reality (VR) has been proposed as a novel therapeutic tool to treat stroke-related disability, particularly in conjunction with traditional post-stroke therapies.

Patient concerns: Here, we report 1 case of a 75-year-old male with ongoing right upper extremity impairment.

Diagnosis: The patient was previously diagnosed with an ischemic stroke.

Interventions: Seven years post-stroke, during which he did not receive any therapies, and on the recommendation of his neurologist, the patient sought VR therapy as an innovative treatment strategy. His clinicians employed a combination of traditional exercise and VR therapy to improve his strength and mobility.

Outcomes: The combination of traditional and VR therapy was able to provide meaningful improvement to his daily quality of life, even years after the stroke.

Conclusions: These results suggest that combination therapy with VR is a viable tool for treating post-stroke impairment, even several years on from the cerebrovascular accident.