Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2025 Mar 27;17(3):e81290.
doi: 10.7759/cureus.81290. eCollection 2025 Mar.

Harnessing Mirror Neurons: Improving Balance and Quality of Life After a Stroke

Preeti Sharma  1 , Zeeshan Ali  2 , Sudhan S George  1
Affiliations

Harnessing Mirror Neurons: Improving Balance and Quality of Life After a Stroke

Preeti Sharma et al. Cureus. .

Abstract

Background: Action observation engages brain motor networks, and action imitation helps neurological and musculoskeletal problem patients improve motor learning and functional recovery. In this study, we focused on identifying the impact of action observation training (AOT) on balance and quality of life (QOL) in hemiparetic stroke patients.

Method: A quasi-experimental study in Bengaluru (from December 2021 to July 2022) involved 60 hemiparetic patients randomly divided into two groups. Group A received 30 minutes of AOT alongside standard physiotherapy, while Group B received conventional therapy. Sessions focused on balance exercises, and outcomes were assessed using the Berg Balance Scale (BBS) and the Stroke-Specific Quality of Life (ss-QOL) scale. Statistical analyses, including paired and independent t-tests, highlighted significant differences, ensuring methodological rigor and ethical compliance.

Results: The findings show a significant difference in the pretest BBS scores between the experimental and control groups (p = 0.010), with the experimental group having a lower baseline. However, there was no significant difference in posttest BBS scores (p = 0.431). Both groups showed significant improvements in their BBS and ss-QOL scores (p < 0.05). The experimental group showed a larger improvement in BBS (p = 0.001), while ss-QOL improvements were not statistically significant (p = 0.732).

Conclusion: The study concluded that the experimental and control groups demonstrated significant improvements in balance and QOL after the intervention, with the experimental group showing significantly larger improvements in balance, compared to control group.

Keywords: action observation; balance; bbs score; mirror neuron; quality of life; ss-qol.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Human subjects: Consent for treatment and open access publication was obtained or waived by all participants in this study. Krupanidhi College of Physiotherapy, Institutional Ethical Committee issued approval EC-MPT/21/PHY/D13. After discussion and scrutiny of the study, the Ethics Committee hereby approves the project titled: “Impact of Action Observation Training Based on Mirror Neuron Therapy on Balance and Quality of Life in Hemiparetic Stroke Patients. Animal subjects: All authors have confirmed that this study did not involve animal subjects or tissue. Conflicts of interest: In compliance with the ICMJE uniform disclosure form, all authors declare the following: Payment/services info: All authors have declared that no financial support was received from any organization for the submitted work. Financial relationships: All authors have declared that they have no financial relationships at present or within the previous three years with any organizations that might have an interest in the submitted work. Other relationships: All authors have declared that there are no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Action observation training
Image credit: This is an original image created by the author Preeti Sharma
Figure 2
Figure 2. Gender distribution of the (A) experimental and (B) control groups
Figure 3
Figure 3. Mean and standard deviation of Stroke-Specific Quality of Life scale of experimental and control group
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

References

    1. Rehabilitation after stroke. Dobkin BH. N Engl J Med. 2005;352:1677–1684. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Incidence & prevalence of stroke in India: a systematic review. Kamalakannan S, Gudlavalleti AS, Gudlavalleti VS, Goenka S, Kuper H. Indian J Med Res. 2017;146:175–185. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Reduction in global burden of stroke in underserved areas. Shrivastava SR, Shrivastava PS, Ramasamy JD. J Neurosci Rural Pract. 2013;4:475–476. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Stroke epidemiology and stroke care services in India. Pandian JD, Sudhan P. J Stroke. 2013;15:128–134. - PMC - PubMed
    1. The definition of stroke. Coupland AP, Thapar A, Qureshi MI, et al. J R Soc Med. 2017;110:9–12. - PMC - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources