Feasibility and psychophysical effects of immersive virtual reality-based mirror therapy.

The study was a small, single-arm pilot with no control group, so it cannot determine if the VR intervention caused the observed improvements or if they were due to natural recovery or concurrent therapy. Assessments were not blinded; the same therapists who delivered the intervention also performed the pre- and post-tests, which may introduce bias. Participants continued to receive standard physiotherapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy, making it impossible to isolate the specific contribution of the VR mirror therapy. Five participants had prior experience with conventional mirror therapy, which may have influenced their ability to engage with the VR protocol. The sample size was small (n=11) and restricted to patients with severe paresis who could sit stably and had no severe cognitive or speech deficits, limiting generalizability.

Funding was provided by Brain Research New Zealand, the University of Otago, and MEDIAN Klinik Berlin-Kladow. The authors declared no specific competing interests in the text provided.

Do not interpret the motor improvements in nine participants as proof that VR mirror therapy is more effective than conventional treatment. The study had no control group, was not blinded, and participants received other therapies simultaneously, so the results only demonstrate feasibility and safety, not efficacy.