Virtual reality (VR), often associated with video games, is being repurposed by Australian researchers to help older adults reduce their risk of falling, a major public health issue for people aged 65 and over.
In a recent study led by Dr Yoshiro Okubo from Neuroscience Research Australia (NeuRA) and UNSW Sydney, VR technology was used to train older adults in obstacle avoidance, a key skill that can prevent trips and slips.
“Approximately one in three people over 65 years old living in the community experience at least one fall each year, with most of these being due to trips and slips,” said Dr Okubo. “We want to help people build their skills and reduce their risk of falling.”
The study involved 56 older Australians, all living independently, who walked on a specialised treadmill within a virtual environment that simulated a suburban footpath. Participants had to avoid obstacles and collect virtual apples during short, eight-minute training sessions.
A key part of the study involved simulating physical feedback to make the training more realistic. The treadmill would momentarily shift to mimic the feeling of tripping, giving participants a chance to physically respond and adapt.
“We found this feedback plays crucial role for older people to learn to avoid obstacle,” Dr Okubo said. “Importantly, participants found the VR activity enjoyable and motion sickness was negligible.”
The immersive setup created a controlled and repeatable environment where researchers could safely test responses to hazards. According to Dr Okubo, the approach complements traditional strength and balance training and could provide a valuable new option in fall prevention programs.
“We hope this VR obstacle avoidance training will complement existing evidenced based strength and balance exercises to prevent falls, and associated serious injuries in older people,” he said.
With falls being a leading cause of injury and death in older Australians, NeuRA researchers are now exploring new VR environments such as city streets and bush paths. A follow-up trial is also underway to examine longer-term effects in people living with Parkinson’s disease.
As the technology becomes more accessible, researchers are aiming to roll out lower-cost VR treadmill systems to make this innovative fall-prevention training more widely available in clinical settings.
Related: Study ties aged care falls to ‘inappropriate’ antidepressant use
Ritchelle is a Content Producer for Healthcare Channel, Australia’s premier resource of information for healthcare.
