Effect of Virtual Reality Applied to a Task-Oriented Movement (VR-TOM)

The Effect of Virtual Reality Applied to a Task-Oriented Movement on the Upper Extremity for Healthy Individuals: Cross Over Study

This study aims to investigate the effect of virtual reality (VR) on upper extremity functions, reaction time, and proprioception in healthy individuals. A randomized crossover design was used, where 26 participants performed a task-oriented movement in both real and virtual environments. Each participant completed a single-session intervention using the Oculus Quest 2 VR system. The study measured Joint Position Sense (JPS), Reaction Time (RT), and Gross Manual Dexterity using standard clinical tests before and after the intervention. The results will help understand how VR-based task-oriented movements influence upper extremity function and whether VR can be effectively used in rehabilitation and sports science applications.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Virtual Reality Therapy
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Real Performance Task-Oriented Movement; Behavioral: Virtual Reality Task-Oriented Movement

Detailed Description

This description provides a summary of the key elements of the study protocol, focusing on the design, interventions, and general approach to evaluation. It does not include the full protocol document or detailed assessment procedures, which are available upon request.

This study is a randomized cross-over trial designed to investigate the acute effects of a task-oriented movement-based virtual reality (VR) application on upper extremity functions in healthy individuals. The primary aim is to evaluate the impact of VR-supported movement exercises on joint position sense (JPS), reaction time (RT), and gross manual dexterity.

The research involves 26 healthy participants who were randomly assigned to two intervention sequences:

Real Performance first (f-RP) group: Participants performed task-oriented movements in a real environment on the first day, followed by a VR-based task-oriented movement session on the second day.

Virtual Reality first (f-VR) group: Participants performed VR-based task-oriented movements on the first day, followed by a real environment session on the second day.

Each intervention lasted 10 minutes and included a task-oriented ball-throwing activity, where participants used repetitive wrist and upper limb movements to throw balls into a target pool placed 2 meters away. The VR intervention was delivered using the Oculus Quest 2 head-mounted display, with real-time visual, auditory, and tactile feedback integrated into the application. The real-world intervention matched the VR setup as closely as possible, including chair position, distance to the target, and ball size.

Assessments were conducted immediately before and after each intervention to observe acute effects. The primary focus was on changes in upper extremity functions and neuromuscular responses following task-oriented movements in VR and real environments.

Data were analyzed for within-group and between-group differences, as well as potential carryover and period effects, using parametric statistical methods appropriate for cross-over trials. The results indicated that VR-based task-oriented applications acutely enhanced reaction time and supported hand functions in healthy individuals. JPS measures remained stable across both intervention types, suggesting that VR-created movement perception can closely resemble real-world joint positioning.

These findings contribute to understanding the short-term effects of VR applications on upper extremity functions and support the potential for VR-based interventions in rehabilitation and performance enhancement.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 26
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Turkey
  • Şehitkamil
    • Gaziantep, Şehitkamil, Turkey, 27350
      • Gaziantep University, Faculty of Sport Sciences

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• to be over 18 years old,
• volunteering to participate in the study,
• having no upper extremity orthopedic disease (carpal tunnel syndrome, etc.).

Exclusion Criteria:

• not having an upper extremity injury in the last year,
• the presence of rheumatic disease,
• pregnancy,
• the presence of cervical disc herniation and thoracic outlet syndrome.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Basic Science
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Crossover Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Real Performance First (f-RP); Participants first performed the task-oriented movement in a real environment. On the following day, they completed the same movement using a virtual reality (VR) system (Oculus Quest 2). Joint Position Sense, Reaction Time, and Gross Manual Dexterity were measured before and after each intervention.	Behavioral: Real Performance Task-Oriented Movement; Participants performed a task-oriented movement in a real environment by throwing balls into a physical pool for 10 minutes. The movement was designed to engage upper extremity function.
Experimental: Virtual Reality First (f-VR); Participants first performed the task-oriented movement using a virtual reality (VR) system (Oculus Quest 2). On the following day, they completed the same movement in a real environment. Joint Position Sense, Reaction Time, and Gross Manual Dexterity were measured before and after each intervention.	Behavioral: Virtual Reality Task-Oriented Movement; Participants performed a task-oriented movement in a virtual environment using the Oculus Quest 2 VR system for 10 minutes. The task involved throwing virtual balls into a virtual pool with real-time feedback.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Reaction Time (RT) in milliseconds	Reaction time was measured using a mobile application ("Reaction Time Test" app) before and after the intervention. Participants tapped the screen as quickly as possible when a visual stimulus appeared. The average reaction time (in milliseconds) over 25 trials was recorded.	Day 1 (immediately after intervention) and Day 2 (immediately after intervention)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Joint Position Sense (JPS) measured in degrees	Joint position sense was evaluated using a universal goniometer for both shoulder and wrist proprioception. Participants were asked to reproduce specific joint angles without visual feedback, and the absolute angular error (in degrees) was recorded.	Day 1 (immediately after intervention) and Day 2 (immediately after intervention)

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Gaziantep

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): December 10, 2023
• Primary Completion (Actual): January 25, 2024
• Study Completion (Actual): May 25, 2024

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: February 8, 2025
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 17, 2025
• First Posted (Actual): March 25, 2025

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): March 25, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 17, 2025
• Last Verified: February 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Virtual reality; upper extremity; reaction time; joint position sense; task-oriented
• Other Study ID Numbers: GAUN-SBF-PANCAR-04

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: YES
• IPD Plan Description: De-identified participant data (reaction time, joint position sense, and Box and Block Test scores) will be shared upon reasonable request. Data will be available after study completion for researchers conducting related studies. Requests should be submitted via email to z_pancar@hotmail.com
• IPD Sharing Time Frame: Start Date: Data will be available after study completion. End Date: Data will be available for 5 years after study completion.

IPD Sharing Access Criteria

De-identified participant data will be available to researchers conducting related studies in the fields of virtual reality, motor control, proprioception, and reaction time.

The shared data will include:

Reaction time (RT) measurements Joint position sense (JPS) measurements Box and Block Test (BBT) scores How can they access it?

Researchers must submit a formal request explaining their research purpose and how they plan to use the data.

Requests should be sent via email to [z_pancar@hotmail.com]. URL will be available upon data publication on OSF. Approved researchers will receive access to the de-identified dataset via the Open Science Framework (OSF) repository.

A direct link to the dataset will be provided upon approval.

• IPD Sharing Supporting Information Type: STUDY_PROTOCOL; SAP

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No
• product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.: No