Immediate effect of adding mirror visual feedback to lateral weight-shifting training on the standing balance control of the unilateral spatial neglect model.
Abdul Chalik Meidian, Song Yige, Muhammad Irfan and 2 others
PMID 34776614WHAT IT FOUND
In healthy people wearing a headset that mimics left-side neglect, adding mirror feedback to weight-shifting training changed balance in only a few specific tests.
Most measures did not improve, and this preliminary model cannot guide treatment for actual patients.
Key findings
01Adding mirror visual feedback to leftward weight-shifting training significantly improved postural stability during eyes-open static standing, but this effect was not seen in other static tests.
02During dynamic balance to the left, mirror feedback with rightward weight-shifting shifted the center of pressure rightward and improved stability, while weight-shifting alone (with or without mirror) reduced left-leg loading.
03The study found no change in anterior-posterior sway across all subgroups, and the authors conclude that this combined training's immediate effects are limited to specific postural measures in a simulated neglect model.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The study used healthy participants wearing a device to simulate neglect, not actual patients with right brain damage, so the physiological responses may not match real clinical cases. The sample size was small (16 per group), which limits the reliability of the findings. The design only tested the immediate effect of a single session, providing no information on long-term adaptation or learning. The simulation model lacked controls for non-neglect conditions or right-sided neglect, making it difficult to isolate the specific effect of the simulated neglect on the training outcomes.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that mirror visual feedback improves balance in patients with unilateral spatial neglect. This study tested healthy people wearing a simulation headset, and the effects were small, inconsistent, and limited to specific laboratory measures. The authors state that this model does not precisely match actual clinical cases and that rightward weight-shifting could be counterproductive for real patients.