**10. The transfer of skill result**

The transfer-of-skill observational measurements were carried out by one of the three physical therapists that supervised the clinical trial. The patients were followed up one week after the intervention program to observe whether the skills learnt transferred to the real world. Patients EO2 and LP3 transferred similar skills to the natural environment. They initially had mass movement of the limbs due to sluggish brain activity/coordination. It was observed that these patients were able to move their ankle joints on the floor, without

Virtual Environments in Physical Therapy 19

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**12. Acknowledgement** 

**13. References** 

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involving their hips. Synergy, according to the therapist, lost some of its control over the patients' motor acts during the clinical trial, and they were able to transfer these skills into the natural environment. Patient MR4, the third patient whose data was not presented here, had a smoother transition of her leg from the gas pedal to the brake during driving. This skill was similar to the movement of the leg during the painting exercise on the VR therapy. The therapy program induced increased brain activity; hence her increased reflex movement in the limb, as sensory activity from the brain was now more specific. She effectively transferred this skill to the real world condition. The transfer-of-skill analysis observed in this study supported the argument (Wilson, Foreman & Tlauka, 1996) that skills gained in virtual environments transfer to real-world conditions.
