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Virtual Reality Augmented Training for Improving Walking and Reducing Fall Risk in Patients with Neurodegenerative Disease

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Virtual Reality for Physical and Motor Rehabilitation

Abstract

This chapter presents the common impairments in gait that are fundamental to neurodegenerative diseases and provide examples from studies on aging, Parkinson’s disease, a classical neurodegenerative disease, and multiple sclerosis, an inflammatory progressive disease that involves neuronal loss. Factors that contribute to problems in mobility are discussed along with current treatment approaches. The review of these topics leads to the rationale and potential advantages of VR-based methods for improving walking and mobility in patients with neurodegenerative disease.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Movement Disorders Unit, Department of Neurology, Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel-Aviv, Israel

    Anat Mirelman & Jeffrey M. Hausdorff

  2. RiVERS Lab, Department of Rehabilitation and Movement Science, Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences, 65 Bergen Street SSB 723, Newark, NJ, 07101, USA

    Judith E. Deutsch

  3. Department of Physical Therapy, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel

    Jeffrey M. Hausdorff

  4. Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA

    Jeffrey M. Hausdorff

Authors
  1. Anat Mirelman
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  2. Judith E. Deutsch
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  3. Jeffrey M. Hausdorff
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Correspondence to Anat Mirelman .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Dept of Occupational Therapy, University of Haifa, Mount Carmel, Haifa, Israel

    Patrice L. (Tamar) Weiss

  2. Department of Physical Therapy and Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

    Emily A. Keshner

  3. School of Physical and Occupational Therapy, McGill University, Montreal, Québec, Canada

    Mindy F. Levin

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Mirelman, A., Deutsch, J.E., Hausdorff, J.M. (2014). Virtual Reality Augmented Training for Improving Walking and Reducing Fall Risk in Patients with Neurodegenerative Disease. In: Weiss, P., Keshner, E., Levin, M. (eds) Virtual Reality for Physical and Motor Rehabilitation. Virtual Reality Technologies for Health and Clinical Applications. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-0968-1_8

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