Virtual illusion therapy may boost arm recovery after spinal cord injury
NCT ID NCT05142943
First seen Jul 07, 2026 · Last updated Jul 08, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study tests whether watching projected arm movements (visual illusion) combined with physical exercise can improve hand and arm function, sensation, and pain in people with incomplete cervical spinal cord injury. Participants will be assigned to one of four groups: visual illusion plus exercise, placebo plus exercise, visual illusion alone, or placebo alone. The goal is to see if tricking the brain into seeing moving arms can stimulate nerve pathways and enhance recovery.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Visual illusion therapy (projected arm movements) combined with physical exercise
- What this could lead to
- If effective, this low-cost approach could improve hand and arm function, reduce pain, and enhance quality of life for people with incomplete spinal cord injury.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage study (80 participants) testing a novel therapy. The visual illusion may not provide meaningful benefits over exercise alone, and results may not apply to all types of spinal cord injury.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
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Locations
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Facultat de Fisioteràpia, Universitat de València
RECRUITINGValencia, Valencia, Spain
Contact Phone: •••-•••-•••• Email: •••••@•••••
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