Effects of mirror training on motor performance in healthy individuals: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Objective Mirror training (MTr) is a rehabilitation technique for patients with neurological diseases. There is no consensus on its effects on motor function in healthy individuals. This systematic review and meta-analysis considers the effects of MTr on motor function in healthy individuals. Design This is a systematic review and meta-analysis. Data sources We searched six databases for studies assessing the effects of MTr on motor function in healthy individuals, published between January 1995 and December 2018. The Cochrane risk of bias was used to assess the quality of the studies. A meta-analysis was conducted with narrative synthesis. Eligibility criteria for selecting studies English-language randomised controlled trials reporting the behavioural results in healthy individuals were included. Results Fourteen randomised controlled trials involving 538 healthy individuals were eligible. Two short-term studies showed MTr was inferior to passive vision pattern (standardised mean difference 0.57 (95% CI 0.06 to 1.08), I-2=0%, p=0.03). The methods varied and there is limited evidence supporting the effectiveness of MTr compared with three alternative training patterns, with insufficient evidence to support analyses of age, skill level or hand dominance. Conclusion The limited evidence that MTr affects motor performance in healthy individuals is weak and inconsistent among studies. It is unclear whether the effects of MTr on motor performance are more pronounced than the direct vision pattern, passive vision pattern or action observation. Further studies are needed to explore the short-term and long-term benefits of MTr and its effects on motor learning in healthy individuals.