Author(s): ŠLOSAR, L., RADO, P., MARUSIC, U., Institution: SCIENCE AND RESEARCH CENTRE KOPER, Country: SLOVENIA, Abstract-ID: 989

INTRODUCTION:
Prolonged hospitalization leads to a significant decline in functional and cognitive functions. Experimental bed rest studies explore the negative effects of inactivity, including lower limb muscle atrophy and reduced strength (Marusic et al., 2021). Altered neural processes, influenced by reduced sensory input and cognitive workload during bed rest, contribute to impaired motor-cognitive tasks. This simultaneous decline profoundly affects resuming daily activities post-hospitalization. Advances in virtual reality (VR) technology and increased accessibility prompt exploration of its application in clinical settings. VR systems, adaptable to various scenarios, offer potential for assessing motor-cognitive tasks beyond the limitations of hospital settings. Our study contributes to understanding the evolving applications of VR technology by investigating the effects of a 21-day bed rest on specific motor-cognitive tasks assessed through a VR system.
METHODS:
Nine young adults (average age 22.9 ± 4.2) underwent a 21-day bed rest period, engaging in all activities lying down with minimal pillow support for the head. Using the Oculus Quest VR headset, participants completed a series of motor-cognitive tasks including single- and dual-task balance, walk the plank, manual dexterity, digits backwards and memory cards at pre, post and follow up bed rest. Movement data (total and segmented sway) and cognitive task performance (time and accuracy) were collected at 50 Hz via a Unity game design software function (MOViR, INCISIV Ltd., Belfast, UK). Variance analyses were applied to investigate potential differences between the pre- and post-assessment.
RESULTS:
Single balance task parameters showed increased sway at post-assessment for both the forward-back (p=0.011) and diagonal moving conditions (p=0.021). Repeated measures ANOVA showed a significant effect of time for the same two conditions (forward back: p=0.042, diagonal moving: p=0.024) with a trend for the average sway (p=0.066). In dual-task balance, post-assessment showed significant increases in task time (p=0.011) and sway (p=0.033). Walk the plank revealed a significant time effect (p=0.001), while no pre-post differences were observed for manual dexterity, digits backward, and memory cards.
CONCLUSION:
This study provides robust validation for the implementation of VR assessments in clinical settings. In comparison to other currently utilized methods, VR enables the integration of diverse scenarios for motor-cognitive assessments that are more ecologically valid and time-efficient. The observed effects of the 21-day bed rest period indicated a clear deterioration in movement data, while conclusive effects on cognitive functions remain undetermined.

REFERENCES:
Marusic, U., Narici, M., Simunic, B., Pisot, R., & Ritzmann, R. (2021). Nonuniform loss of muscle strength and atrophy during bed rest: a systematic review. Journal of applied physiology, 131(1), 194–206.