Arch Phys Med Rehabil, 2015 · DOI: 10.1016/j.apmr.2014.10.020 · Published: April 1, 2015
This study investigates brain activity during a visual illusion of walking in people with spinal cord injury (SCI) compared to those without SCI. The goal was to understand how visual illusions might help treat SCI-related neuropathic pain. Participants were shown videos of someone walking or using a wheelchair while their brain activity was measured using fMRI. They were asked to imagine themselves performing the actions in the videos. The study found different patterns of brain activity in the SCI group compared to the able-bodied group, suggesting that visual illusions may target specific areas of the brain that are affected by SCI.
Visual or virtual walking therapies for SCI-related neuropathic pain may work by specifically targeting the somatosensory cortex.
Rehabilitation strategies may need to be tailored to address the different patterns of cortical activation observed in individuals with SCI compared to able-bodied individuals.
Further investigation into the effectiveness of sensory input paradigms such as visual illusory walking is needed to determine its viability as a treatment for SCI-related neuropathic pain.