Comparison of combined virtual reality combined with standing balance training vs. standard practice in patients with hemiplegia: A single-blinded, randomized controlled trial.

Objective: To determine whether virtual reality (VR)-based dynamic standing balance training improves three elements of sensory integration and investigate whether VR-based dynamic standing balance training results in improved outcomes, especially regarding balance and gait, compared to the standard training method.

Design: This single-blinded, randomized, controlled trial involved 30 patients with hemiplegia. The experimental (EG, n = 15) and control (CG, n = 15) groups received VR augmented-standing balance training or standard standing balance training, respectively, for 20 minutes, 5 days a week, for 3 weeks.

Neural correlates of fine motor grasping skills: Longitudinal insights into motor cortex activation using fNIRS.

Background: Motor learning is essential for performing specific tasks and progresses through distinct stages, including the rapid learning phase (initial skill acquisition), the consolidation phase (skill refinement), and the stable performance phase (skill mastery and maintenance). Understanding the cortical activation dynamics during these stages can guide targeted rehabilitation interventions.

Methods: In this longitudinal randomized controlled trial, functional near-infrared spectroscopy was used to explore the temporal dynamics of cortical activation in hand-related motor learning.