The Neurology Spanish Society has officially granted its support to VirtualRehab, an innovative physical rehabilitation system based on videogames and motion capture technology of the Microsoft® Kinect developed by the company Virtualware.
This system allows patients to incorporate the rehabilitation programs at their homes thanks to the remote management capacity (tele-rehabilitation) through the use of Microsoft® Windows Azure® technology.
This innovative tool has been specifically designed by specialists in the Neuro rehabilitation field to be able to work on different damaged functions of patients suffering from neurodegenerative, neuromuscular and brain diseases, as well as to improve mobility in the elderly.
Through the use of virtual environments in a videogame format and the use of Microsoft® Kinect®, the patient is able to do physiotherapy exercises prescribed by his therapist either in a Rehabilitation clinic as well as in his own home. This technology allows the patient to be monitored remotely by his physiotherapist to track the evolution of the therapy.
The patient interacts with the system in a 3D environment where they perform multiple movement combinations without the need of an attached device or a controller. Each session is registered on the Windows Azure platform.
VirtualRehab helps exercise damaged functions and skills (motor, coordination and to a lesser extent cognitive) for neurodegenerative diseases (Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson´s, ALS, Alzheimer´s), neuromuscular disorders and brain damage. The game component allows patients to increase their satisfaction level through videogames, which leads to a great adherence to the treatment.
Several centres around the worlrd are already using VirtualRehab as a normal part of therapies for patients with neurological problems. Currently there are more than 1000 patients using VirtualRehab in different centres located in Spain and Russia