Movement therapy without moving — First results on isometric movement training for post-stroke rehabilitation of arm function

This study explores the use of isometric movement training for arm rehabilitation after stroke. The aim of this approach is to enhance movement skill even when the person training is not moving. This is accomplished by deceptively displaying virtual motions, exploiting known cross-modal sensory interactions between vision and proprioception. This approach can be advantageous in situations where actual movement is prohibitive due to weakness, spasticity, instability, or unsafe conditions. We present early insights on usability of and tolerance to this training approach and quantitative results that can power future clinical trials.