A Comparison of Immersive vs. Non-Immersive Virtual Reality Exercises for the Upper Limb: A Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Pilot Study with Healthy Participants

Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) allows for a reliable assessment of oxygenated blood flow in relevant brain regions. Recent advancements in immersive virtual reality (VR)-based technology have generated many new possibilities for its application, such as in stroke rehabilitation. In this study, we asked whether there is a difference in oxygenated hemoglobin (HbO(2)) within brain motor areas during hand/arm movements between immersive and non-immersive VR settings. Ten healthy young participants (24.3 ± 3.7, three females) were tested using a specially developed VR paradigm, called “bus riding”, whereby participants used their hand to steer a moving bus. Both immersive and non-immersive conditions stimulated brain regions controlling hand movements, namely motor cortex, but no significant differences in HbO(2) could be found between the two conditions in any of the relevant brain regions. These results are to be interpreted with caution, as only ten participants were included in the study.