500 Section - Immediate effects of virtual reality training on upper limb function in patients with Parkinson’s disease: A retrospective observational study

Wednesday, May 20, 2026

6:00 PM - 7:30 PM PT

Presenting Author/Autor expositor(s)

HA

Hiroyuki Ase, PhD

Occupational Therapist, Section Chief
Juntendo Tokyo Koto Geriatric Medical Center, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine
Koto-ku, Tokyo, Japan

Co-Author/Coautor(s)

YY

Yukiko Yoshikawa, BS

occupational therapist
Department of Rehabilitation Medicine
Koto-ku, Tokyo, Japan
CO

Chihiro Ohno, BS

Occupational therapist
Department of Rehabilitation Medicine
Koto-ku, Tokyo, Japan
HG

Hinon Goto, BS

Occupational therapist
Department of Rehabilitation Medicine
Koto-ku, Tokyo, Japan
TI

Tetta Iizuka, BS

Occupational therapist
Department of Rehabilitation Medicine
Koto-ku, Tokyo, Japan
TY

Takuma Yoshizawa, BS

Occupational therapist
Department of Rehabilitation Medicine
Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
TF

Toshiyuki Fujiwara, MD, PhD

Chief Professor
Department of Rehabilitation Medicine
Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan

Objectives : Upper limb dysfunction is common in Parkinson’s disease and reduces independence. Virtual reality (VR) training is proposed as an engaging rehabilitation approach, but its immediate and short-term effects remain underexplored. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of VR-based unilateral upper limb training during a short inpatient stay.

Design: This retrospective observational study included 22 inpatients with Parkinson’s disease (mean age 63.7 ± 12.9 years; 14 males). Patients received VR training with the RAPAEL Smart Glove (NEOFECT, Korea) during a 1–6 week inpatient rehabilitation program. The primary outcome was the Jebsen–Taylor Hand Function Test (JTT), and the secondary outcomes were the Box and Block Test (BBT) and grip strength. Functional outcomes were assessed at admission and discharge on both the intervention and non-intervention hand. Paired comparisons were conducted between intervention and non-intervention hand improvements (ΔPost–Pre). Primary analysis used paired t-tests; effect sizes (Cohen’s dz) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated. Approved by the institutional ethics committee with opt-out consent.

Results: The intervention hand showed a significantly greater improvement in JTT performance compared with the non-intervention hand (mean difference −5.7 s, 95% CI: −8.2 to −3.2, p < 0.001, dz = 1.02). The BBT demonstrated an additional gain of +6.7 blocks in the intervention hand (95% CI: +4.5 to +8.9, p < 0.001, dz = 1.36), exceeding the minimal detectable change of approximately 5–6 blocks. Grip strength in the intervention hand increased by +4.1 kg vs the non-intervention hand (95% CI: +2.6 to +5.5, p < 0.001, dz = 1.25).

Conclusion:
Short-term inpatient VR training induced significant and clinically meaningful improvements in upper limb function, especially in fine and gross manual dexterity. These findings support the feasibility and potential utility of VR-based interventions in Parkinson’s disease rehabilitation and warrant further trials with larger cohorts and longer follow-up.