Data Glove and Controller Utilized in a Ball-Catching Task With Virtual Reality Differentially Modulate Corticospinal...

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Virtual Reality Technology
• Motor Control

Background:

• Virtual reality (VR) combined with action observation (AO) enhances motor imagery (MI) vividness.
• Previous research indicates differences in self-awareness and motor practice between VR controllers and data gloves.
• The impact of VR manipulation type on corticospinal excitability (CSE) remains largely unexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate whether CSE varies based on the manipulation device (controller vs. data glove) during a VR task.
• To examine the effects of short-term VR practice on MI vividness, self-awareness, motor performance, and CSE.

Main Methods:

• Twenty healthy adults performed a VR ball-catching task using either a controller or a data glove on separate days.
• Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) assessed CSE before and after practice at rest and during action observation during motor imagery (AOMI).
• Surface electromyography (EMG) measured muscle activity, alongside assessments of MI vividness and self-awareness.

Main Results:

• Motor imagery vividness improved with practice for both devices, with no difference in self-awareness.
• Agonist EMG decreased only with the data glove, while CSE (motor-evoked potential amplitude) increased post-practice with the glove but not the controller.
• Correlations revealed associations between EMG, motor-evoked potentials (MEP), and the sense of ownership post-practice.

Conclusions:

• Short-term VR practice modulates CSE in a device-dependent and muscle-specific manner.
• The observed changes in CSE are linked to the sense of body ownership within the virtual environment.
• Data gloves may induce different neuroplastic changes compared to controllers in VR-based motor learning.