Author(s): LIM, P.L., LAI, Y., CHENG, K., TSAI, Y., Institution: NATIONAL CHENG KUNG UNIVERSITY, Country: TAIWAN, Abstract-ID: 1211

INTRODUCTION:
Neck pain is increasingly prevalent due to factors such as poor posture associated with use of computers and smart phones and workplace conditions (Mahmoud et al., 2019). It affects a significant portion of the population and ranks as the second leading cause of musculoskeletal disability (Fejer et al., 2006). Sensorimotor control impairments including proprioceptive deficits, loss of eye-head coordination, poor balance and increased motion variability have been identified in patients with neck pain. In addition, visual symptoms or disturbances, such as blurred vision, words jumping on the page, or difficulty concentrating to read, often accompanied by symptoms of dizziness and unsteadiness are also often reported in patients with neck pain. Traditional clinical tests for assessing cervical sensorimotor control face challenges in setup and reliability (Kristjansson et al., 2001). Virtual Reality (VR) assessment systems offer a promising alternative, simplifying testing procedures and potentially improving reliability. However, the VR application in assessing cervical sensorimotor control is still developing. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to develop a VR system capable of assessing sensorimotor control function in the cervical spine, and investigate its test-retest reliability.
METHODS:
This observational study involved 28 healthy volunteers, comprising 13 males and 15 females. All participants underwent four sensorimotor control tests including cervical range of motion, figure of eight, modified subjective visual vertical, and head tilt response using the VR system (HP Reverb G2 Omnicept, Tobii, Sweden) and self-designed virtual scenarios. All participants received the same assessment twice and test-retest reliability was evaluated using the Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC).
RESULTS:
The results demonstrated that all of the tests conducted with the VR system exhibited high to excellent reliability. The ICC values for cervical range of motion in directions of flexion, extension, side bending to left and right, and rotation to left and right were ranged from 0.611 to 0.870. The ICC value for the figure of eight, modified subjective visual vertical and the head tilt response tests was 0.780, 0.734, and 0.801, respectively.
CONCLUSION:
This self-designed VR assessment system demonstrated high to excellent reliability in evaluating cervical sensorimotor control function. Notably, this VR system provides precise measurements, simplifies testing with its single-device capability, and enhances operational efficiency. Future applications may include clinical assessments of patients with neck pain and interactive therapeutic interventions.