1. Introduction
embolus, death, Strokes, stroke, hemorrhagic, physical disability, psychiatric, musculoskeletal pathologies, disability, strokes
STROKES, STROKE, PHYSICAL DISABILITY, ISCHEMIC STROKE, CEREBROVASCULAR ACCIDENT, CEREBRAL INFARCTION, STROKES
A stroke is a neurological condition with a high impact in terms of physical disability in the adult population, requiring specific and effective rehabilitative approaches. Virtual reality (VR), a technological approach in constant evolution, has great applicability in many fields of rehabilitation, including strokes. The aim of this study was to analyze the effects of a traditional neurological physiotherapy-based approach combined with the implementation of a specific VR-based program in the treatment of patients following rehabilitation after a stroke. Participants (A stroke, also known as a cerebrovascular accident (CVA), is one of the main causes of physical disability in adults [A stroke can be either ischemic or hemorrhagic. An ischemic stroke, which is the most frequent type, is caused by a significant decrease in the blood flow to a part of the brain. This lack of blood supply produces a cerebral infarction, generated by an embolus, leading to the death of neurons due to a lack of oxygen supply and nutrients in the blood [Strokes are currently the second leading cause of death and the leading cause of disability in Europe [Neurorehabilitation is a therapeutical approach which mainly focuses on neurological care and the early application of rehabilitative treatment, with a wide range of therapeutic applications [Virtual reality (VR) is the creation of an artificial scenario adapted to the real world, in which it is possible to interact, navigate and immerse in a three-dimensional space by applying different sensory stimuli. Thus, it implies a full-immersion process of the person or the patient in a virtual scenario as close as possible to the real world [VR can be used in the clinical field as a non-invasive technological therapy that allows the patient to interact with a computer-created environment. The use of VR and video games in the health sector increasingly requires more evidence of their efficacy in combination with conventional treatments. This efficacy is explained by their numerous applications and beneficial effects in patients affected by neurological, psychiatric or musculoskeletal pathologies [One of the physiological explanations for these physical improvements is the action of mirror neurons. According to Rizzolatti (discoverer of mirror neurons), the essence of this “mirror” mechanism is the following: each time individuals observe an action performed by another person, a set of neurons that encode that action is activated in the motor system of the observers. If the patient observes a certain action in the VR environment, they will be “activated” at a motor level by the functioning of their mirror neurons [The aim of the current study is to analyze the effects of a traditional neurological physiotherapy-based approach combined with the implementation of a specific VR-based program in the treatment of patients following rehabilitation after a stroke.