Virtual Reality Upper Limb Therapy for People With Spinal Cord Injury
Key facts
- Who runs it
- Glasgow Caledonian University
- Where
- United Kingdom1 site in 1 countryChoose a country to see its sites
- Trial code
- Status
- Completed
- People taking part
- 12 people enrolled
- Started
- 15 Mar 2024
- Ended
- 1 Aug 2025
- Type of study
- Interventional, 2 groupsOne group gets an existing treatment, for comparison.
- Treatments tested
- Virtual Reality Upper Limb Rehabilitation Games
- Upper Limb Rehabilitation
- Record updated
- 22 September 2025
Who can take part
- Age
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- Women and men
- Healthy volunteers
- Cannot take part
The registry criteria, word for word
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Who can take part
- Willing and able to give informed consent for participation in the trial
- Aged 18 years or above
- An in-patient at the Queen Elizabeth National Spinal Injuries Unit in Glasgow with a diagnosis of tetraplegia
- Sustained a cervical spine injury (C4-C8)
- Medically stable to engage in physical rehabilitation and physical activity
- Sitting up in a wheelchair for at least 2 hours daily
Who cannot take part
- Scheduled elective surgery or other procedures requiring general anaesthesia anticipated within the next 12 weeks
- Participated in another research trial involving an investigational product in the past 12 weeks
- Any significant disease or disorder which, in the opinion of the Investigator, may either put the participants at risk because of participation in the trial, or may influence the result of the trial, or the participant's ability to participate in the trial
- Participating in another research trial investigating upper limb rehabilitation interventions
- Self-reported motion sickness
This trial has no sites in United States.
It has sites in one country. Choose a country to see its sites.
About the trial
What the trial wants to find out
This study aims to test if the VR games could be a form of upper limb rehabilitation for people with arm/hand problems due to SCI while they are in hospital. Participants who have had a spinal cord injury and have tetraplegia will be recruited from the Queen Elizabeth National Spinal Injuries Unit. After they have provided informed consent, they will receive 12 weeks of either standard upper limb therapy ('control group'), or both the VR activities and standard treatment ('VR Group'). Participants who receive VR activities will engage in immersive VR games that have been designed in co-production with people with tetraplegia and spinal cord injury specialists. The games aim to help participants improve the use of their arms and hands while they are undergoing primary rehabilitation within the Queen Elizabeth National Spinal Injuries Unit (QENSIU). The participants who are in the control group will receive their usual rehabilitation and will be given the opportunity to try the VR games after the completion of their involvement in the trial.
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This study will measure the feasibility (the 'primary outcome') and explore the effectiveness (the 'secondary outcome') of the VR intervention. Feasibility will be measured by recording how often the VR games are used and whether or not participants use the games for the full duration of the trial. Participants and therapists will be interviewed at the end of the trial.
The 2 groups in the trial
- Virtual Reality Plus Treatment As UsualTreatment being tested
3 sessions of virtual reality upper limb treatment for up to 30 minutes each will be administered each week for 12 weeks. Participants randomised to the VR treatment arm will also receive treatment as usual for their upper limbs (see Treatment As Usual).
Treatment: Virtual Reality Upper Limb Rehabilitation Games and Upper Limb Rehabilitation
- Treatment As UsualExisting treatment, for comparison
Usual upper limb rehabilitation is delivered by occupational therapists and physiotherapists and aims to build strength of the upper limbs and optimise function. Patients receive hand therapy once per day and physiotherapy twice per day. Rehabilitation is highly individualised.
Treatment: Upper Limb Rehabilitation
Data and sources
- Registry record
- Listed on ClinicalTrials.gov.
- Official title
- The Feasibility of Virtual Reality-Based Activities for Upper Limb Rehabilitation of People With Acute/Sub-Acute Tetraplegia
- Record updated
- 22 September 2025