Effects of additional mental imagery training on lower limb function in stroke patients treated with virtual reality

Abstract

Aim. To evaluate whether stroke patients receiving combined task-oriented and virtual reality training could further benefit from adding motor imagery training with regard to lower limb sensorimotor function, balance, gait, and fall risk. Material and Methods. Thirty chronic stroke patients (40-60 years) participated in this single-blind randomized controlled trial, recruited through a convenience sampling method, randomly assigned to either an experimental group or a control group. The experimental group underwent virtual reality training combined with mental imagery, while the control group received virtual reality training alongside conventional treatment. Both interventions lasted for 6 weeks, with 3 sessions per week. The data was collected with Berg Balance Scale, Fugl-Meyer Assessment for Lower Extremity, Wisconsin Gait Scale, Timed Up and Go Test, and 10-meter Walk Test at baseline, and after 3 and 6 weeks. Results. Participants in the experimental group showed significantly better performance compared to the control group on all study measures (P < 0.05). Further, both groups improved significantly compared to baseline (P < 0.05). Conclusions. Integrating motor imagery training into rehabilitation plans of chronic stroke patients treated with task-oriented and virtual reality training significantly improves patient outcome. Clinical trials registry: NCT05812638