Using virtual reality to disrupt a person’s sense of balance, researchers may have stumbled upon a new method to identify imperceptible fall risks among elderly patients and perhaps improve balance.
Although it may seem counterintuitive, researchers the University of North Carolina and NC State used virtual reality to disorient study participants as they walked on a treadmill. By recording their movements, the research team of biomedical engineers was able to identify specific muscle responses that contributed to loss of balance.
