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Updated: Jun 4, 2026
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Motor Imagery Brain-Computer Interface in Rehabilitation of Upper Limb Motor Dysfunction After Stroke
Published on: September 1, 2023
Visuospatial Working Memory Predicts Strategic Motor Learning With Visual Feedback During Gait After Stroke.
Sidra Manzoor1, Matthew L Cohen2, Susanne M Morton1,3
1Biomechanics and Movement Science (BIOMS) Program, University of Delaware, Newark, USA.
Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair
|June 3, 2026
Summary
Visuospatial working memory (VSWM) is crucial for strategic locomotor learning with visual feedback (VF) in individuals with chronic stroke. This finding suggests VSWM should be considered in designing post-stroke walking rehabilitation strategies.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Rehabilitation Science
- Motor Control
Background:
- Visual feedback (VF) is vital for strategic motor learning in post-stroke gait rehabilitation.
- The role of visuospatial working memory (VSWM) in supporting VF-guided motor correction during walking after stroke is not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between VSWM and strategic learning during VF-guided locomotor adaptation in individuals with chronic stroke.
- To assess if VSWM influences overall accuracy and improvement in accuracy over time during treadmill walking with VF.
Main Methods:
- Seventy-seven individuals with chronic stroke (>6 months post-stroke) participated.
- Participants adapted to a split-belt treadmill (2:1 ratio) with real-time visual feedback of step lengths.
- Strategic learning was quantified by overall accuracy and improvement in accuracy; VSWM was measured using the Wechsler Memory Scale-IV.
Main Results:
- VSWM significantly explained variance in overall accuracy (ΔR² = .085, P = .013) after controlling for covariates.
- VSWM also significantly explained variance in improvement in accuracy (ΔR² = .153, P < .001).
Conclusions:
- Visuospatial working memory appears to be important for strategic locomotor learning guided by visual feedback in individuals with chronic stroke.
- These findings underscore the potential significance of VSWM in developing effective walking rehabilitation strategies for stroke survivors.
