Project 467219

Femalestroke survivors access rehabilitation services less than male stroke survivors, and they are underrepresented in rehabilitation research. This suggests that treatments are not being tested equally in females and males. In addition, female stroke survivors have comparatively worse rehabilitation outcomes. Virtual reality (VR) is a treatment option for female and male stroke survivors as it uses the neural plasticity of the brain to increase upper limb mobility. The results of VR rehabilitation treatments are promising, yet VR can cause visually induced motion sickness (VIMS). Females experience more VIMS than males, and studies have found contradictory results as to whether VIMS is more common in younger or older adults. Additionally, the prevalence of VIMS in female stroke survivors with diverse ages and cognitive impairments is unknown. My proposed research aims to address this gap in the literature by assessing VIMS in response to VR in female stroke survivors with a variety of ages and cognitive impairments who all have an upper limb paresis. Twenty female and twenty male stroke survivors will participate in a single study session. They will be assessed for cognitive impairment, and they will then complete motor movements while using VR, and while they are not using VR. The VIMS of females and males will be assessed after completing motor movements in each environment. I hypothesize that females will have increased VIMS compared to males, and that females who are older or have moderate to severe cognitive impairment will experience more VIMS compared to females who are younger or have mild cognitive impairment. This finding would allow for the identification of the best treatment for female stroke survivors based on their sex, age, and cognitive impairment.