Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41847766›Full record

Trial reportStroke2026

Action Observation Combined With Virtual Reality Promotes Motor Recovery After Stroke: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Antonino Errante, Donatella Saviola, Matteo Cantoni, Katia Iannuzzelli, Chiara Rubertelli, Settimio Ziccarelli, Fabrizio Togni, Marcello Simonini, Carolina Malchiodi, Debora Bertoni and 8 more

Registry-linked trialAbstract readRandomized Controlled TrialMulticenter Study
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in Stroke, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT05163210 (Effectiveness of Action Observation Therapy Based on Virtual Reality Technology in Motor Rehabilitation of Paretic Stroke Patients), which is not on this map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT05163210 nacompletednot on this map

Effectiveness of Action Observation Therapy Based on Virtual Reality Technology in Motor Rehabilitation of Paretic Stroke Patients: a Randomized Clinical Trial

TypeinterventionalSponsorAzienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di ParmaRan2021 to 2024Enrolled48ConditionsStroke, Hemiplegia, HemiparesisArmsAO+VR, CO+VR
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Trial
  2. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

18 authors.

Antonino ErranteDepartment of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Italy (A.E., C.R., S.Z., L.F.).ORCID 0000-0002-0138-6369
Donatella SaviolaCentro Cardinal Ferrari KOS, Parma, Italy (D.S., M.C., K.I., C.M., D. Bertoni, A.D.T.).
Matteo CantoniCentro Cardinal Ferrari KOS, Parma, Italy (D.S., M.C., K.I., C.M., D. Bertoni, A.D.T.).
Katia IannuzzelliCentro Cardinal Ferrari KOS, Parma, Italy (D.S., M.C., K.I., C.M., D. Bertoni, A.D.T.).
Chiara RubertelliDepartment of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Italy (A.E., C.R., S.Z., L.F.).
Settimio ZiccarelliDepartment of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Italy (A.E., C.R., S.Z., L.F.).
Fabrizio TogniIstituto Clinico Quarenghi, San Pellegrino Terme, Italy (F.T., M.S., M.G.I., A.Q., P.Q., D. Bosone, G.S.).
Marcello SimoniniIstituto Clinico Quarenghi, San Pellegrino Terme, Italy (F.T., M.S., M.G.I., A.Q., P.Q., D. Bosone, G.S.).
Carolina MalchiodiCentro Cardinal Ferrari KOS, Parma, Italy (D.S., M.C., K.I., C.M., D. Bertoni, A.D.T.).
Debora BertoniCentro Cardinal Ferrari KOS, Parma, Italy (D.S., M.C., K.I., C.M., D. Bertoni, A.D.T.).
Maria Grazia InzaghiIstituto Clinico Quarenghi, San Pellegrino Terme, Italy (F.T., M.S., M.G.I., A.Q., P.Q., D. Bosone, G.S.).
Francesca BozzettiDiagnostic Department, Neuroradiology Unit, University Hospital of Parma, Italy (A.E., F.B.).
Annamaria QuarenghiIstituto Clinico Quarenghi, San Pellegrino Terme, Italy (F.T., M.S., M.G.I., A.Q., P.Q., D. Bosone, G.S.).
Paola QuarenghiIstituto Clinico Quarenghi, San Pellegrino Terme, Italy (F.T., M.S., M.G.I., A.Q., P.Q., D. Bosone, G.S.).
Daniele BosoneIstituto Clinico Quarenghi, San Pellegrino Terme, Italy (F.T., M.S., M.G.I., A.Q., P.Q., D. Bosone, G.S.).
Leonardo FogassiDepartment of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Italy (A.E., C.R., S.Z., L.F.).
Gianpietro SalviIstituto Clinico Quarenghi, San Pellegrino Terme, Italy (F.T., M.S., M.G.I., A.Q., P.Q., D. Bosone, G.S.).
Antonio De TantiCentro Cardinal Ferrari KOS, Parma, Italy (D.S., M.C., K.I., C.M., D. Bertoni, A.D.T.).

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAction observation treatment and virtual reality are established approaches for upper limb rehabilitation after stroke. This study investigated whether combining action observation with virtual reality improves hand dexterity and upper limb motor recovery compared with virtual reality alone.

methodsIn this multicenter, assessor-blinded randomized controlled trial conducted in inpatient rehabilitation centers in Italy between January 2022 and September 2024, poststroke adults with hemiplegia (n=48) were assigned to the experimental or to the control group. Both underwent 20 one-hour sessions over 5 weeks. Participants of the experimental group observed goal-directed daily actions before replicating them in virtual reality, whereas participants of the control group viewed nature scenes before performing the same virtual reality tasks without action observation. Motor function was evaluated at baseline, postintervention, and 6-month follow-up using the Box and Block Test, with the primary estimand defined as the between-group difference in change in paretic hand scores. Secondary outcomes included measures of muscle strength, spasticity, global disability, and functional independence.

resultsBoth groups showed improvement in Box and Block scores for both hands. However, the experimental group demonstrated a greater gain in paretic hand function, with a between-group difference in change of 7.8 blocks at posttreatment (95% CI, 7.1-7.9) and 10.8 blocks at 6-month follow-up (95% CI, 10.6-10.9). Improvements in the nonparetic hand were comparable between groups. Similar improvements across both groups were observed in secondary outcome measures. A significant treatment×age×time-from-stroke interaction was observed for paretic hand dexterity, indicating that treatment effects varied according to these covariates.

conclusionsAction observation combined with virtual reality appears to be more effective than virtual reality alone for promoting upper limb motor recovery after stroke, particularly in enhancing fine motor function of the paretic hand. REGISTRATION: URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov; Unique identifier: NCT05163210.

Indexed as

Recovery of FunctionStrokeStroke RehabilitationVirtual RealityAgedFemaleHemiplegiaHumansMaleMiddle AgedSingle-Blind MethodUpper Extremityhemiplegiamirror neuronsneurological rehabilitationrehabilitation centersstrokeupper extremityvirtual reality

Identifiers

PMID41847766
PMCPMC13117561

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Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.