Brain, EEG, fNIRS, Manual Dexterity, Virtual Reality
Conditions
Brief summary
With advances in technology, virtual reality (VR) is increasingly used in various fields, including rehabilitation, motor learning, and neuroscience. Its ability to provide controlled, immersive, and interactive environments makes it a valuable tool for training and assessment. However, despite its growing adoption, limited evidence exists on how cortical activation in VR compares to real-world conditions. Moreover, brain cortical activity during motor tasks, such as manual dexterity tasks, remains underexplored. This study aims to compare brain cortical activity in real and immersive virtual reality settings during a manual dexterity task. Secondary objectives include: * Examining the relationship between brain cortical activity and kinematics in both conditions. * Comparing brain cortical activity between hand-tracking and controller-based interactions.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALReal-world manual dexterity task
Participants will perform a manual dexterity task involving the displacement of physical cubes
BEHAVIORALImmersive virtual reality with controllers
Participants will perform a manual dexterity task in an immersive virtual reality environment, requiring them to move virtual cubes using controllers
BEHAVIORALImmersive virtual reality with hand-tracking
Participants will perform a manual dexterity task in an immersive virtual reality environment, requiring them to move virtual cubes using the hand-tracking technology
Sponsors
Cliniques universitaires Saint-Luc- Université Catholique de Louvain
Université Catholique de Louvain
Study design
Observational model
OTHER
Time perspective
PROSPECTIVE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* Age over 18 years old * Normal-to-corrected vision * Ability to understand simple instructions
Exclusion criteria
* History of seizure * Recent participation (within the last three months) in a study involving a manual dexterity task in immersive virtual reality * Neurologic or orthopaedic pathology potentially affecting upper extremity movement
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Brain cortical activity | Baseline (at rest: before task performance) and Day 1 (during each of the three task performances within the single study session) | Measures of brain cortical activity using EEG/fNIRS |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Maximal movement speed | Day 1 (during each of the three task performances within the single study session) | Peak instant velocity of the upper extremity during task performance |
| Movement smoothness | Day 1 (during each of the three task performances within the single study session) | Spectral arc length of the normalised instant velocity (SPARC) of the upper extremity during task performance |
| Average speed | Day 1 (during each of the three task performances within the single study session) | Mean instant velocity of the upper extremity during task performance |
| Average distance between thumb and other fingers | Day 1 (during each of the three task performances within the single study session) | Mean distance between thumb and other fingers during task performance |
| Variation of distance between thumb and other fingers | Day 1 (during each of the three task performances within the single study session) | Coefficient of variation of the distance between thumb and other fingers during task performance |
| Variation of velocity | Day 1 (during each of the three task performances within the single study session) | Coefficient of variation of the instant velocity of the upper extremity during task performance |
Countries
Belgium
Contacts
Primary ContactGauthier Everard, PT, PhD
Backup ContactThérèse Ntabuhashe Bibentyo, Er, PhD student
Outcome results
None listed