Video mirror feedback induces more extensive brain activation compared to the mirror box: an fNIRS study in healthy adults.

The participants were healthy young adults, not people after stroke, so the brain activation differences cannot be taken as clinical improvement. The tasks did not match usual mirror therapy. The video task had no right-hand movement, while the mirror task required right-hand movement, so attention and movement intention differed. The movement was a simple hand opening and closing task, and complex tasks may produce different activation. Only right-handed participants were studied, with movement on the right and visual feedback presented as the left hand, so results cannot be extended to left-handed people or the non-dominant side. fNIRS measured only selected cortical regions and could not cover deeper or distant areas such as the cerebellum. Two initially recruited people were not analysed because of poor fNIRS signal, and some channels were excluded for individual participants. The illusion rating scale was not validated.

Do not conclude that video mirror feedback improves stroke rehabilitation or should replace a mirror box. The study measured brain activation in 33 healthy adults, not patient outcomes, and the video task did not involve moving the right hand, unlike usual mirror therapy.