Virtual Reality Based-therapy Applied to Physical Therapy in Cardiology.

Introduction: cardiovascular rehabilitation programs (CR) can promote several benefits in patients with cardiac diseases. However, there are problems related to the patient adherence in CR. Some of these problems can be caused to factors like motivation. Alternative therapies can improve motivation and increase adherence to CR. In this context, virtual reality based therapy (VRBT), have shown benefits in cardiac patients to pain relief, functional capacity and increasing physical activity levels, but there is no answer whether it can increase engagement and adherence to CR. In addition, it is important to investigate hemodynamic responses of VRBT. Objective: investigate engagement, motivation, and the barriers to adherence of VRBT in patients with cardiac diseases and risk factors to the development of cardiac diseases. In addition, to investigate autonomic and hemodynamic responses of VRBT in comparison with conventional therapy (CT). Methods: patients with cardiac diseases or risk factors will be invited to perform CT or VRBT+CT. They will be submitted to an initial evaluation, the intervention and to a final evaluation. The initial evaluation include eligibility investigation, and after they will be random allocated to the interventions. The interventions will be performed with a frequency of three times a week, for 12 weeks, and the intensity will be prescribed individually. The primary outcomes includes engagement, motivation, barriers and adherence in the 12 previous weeks according to a recall questionnaire, after 12 weeks of the intervention and after 12 weeks of the final intervention program. The engagement will be evaluated using the User Engagement Scale (modified). Motivation will be evaluated using the intrinsic motivation questionnaire. The barriers will be evaluated using the Barriers Scale of Cardiac Rehabilitation. Adherence will be evaluated using the presence in the patient's records. Hemodynamic responses will be evaluated before, during and after a session at the first, sixth and twelfth week using blood pressure, heart rate, respiratory rate, oxygen saturation and rating of perceived exertion. Autonomic responses will be evaluated using heart rate variability. Statistical analysis: the data analysis will be evaluated using the two way ANOVA with Bonferroni posttest with significance to p < 0.05.