Using VR Training to Boost Our Sense of Agency and Improve Motor Control
Patients with motor dysfunctions are on the rise across Japan as its population continues to age. A Tohoku University researcher has developed a new method of rehabilitation using virtual reality to increase the sense of agency over our body and aid motor skills.
The two aspects of body awareness: The experience of one s visible hands as one s own (ownership) and the experience of authorship over bodily movements (agency). The present study found the sense of agency, rather than body ownership, improves motor control.
Kazumichi Matsumiya
With Japan s society rapidly aging, there has been a sharp increase in patients who experience motor dysfunctions. Rehabilitation is key to overcoming such ailments.