Features of the CNS functional state dynamics during cognitive-motor training in a virtual environment

Aim. The paper was aimed at identifying changes in the functional state of the central nervous system after cognitive-motor training (CMT) in a virtual environment. Materials and methods. A comparative study involved 50 healthy volunteers (19 men and 31 women) aged 24 to 56 years. The functional states of the central nervous system before and after CMT in VR were determined by registering a simple visual-motor reaction. Results. Based on the average simple visual-motor reaction time (AMRT), 2 study groups were formed, namely 'pronounced mobility' (PM, AMRT 180-215 ms) and 'pronounced inertia' (PI, AMRT 218-277 ms). After CMT in VR, there was a significant decrease in the average reaction time (p = 0.002), the level of CNS activation (p = 0.005), and a decrease in the stability of the response (p = 0.0001) in the pronounced mobility group. Analysis of the efficacy of CMT in VR showed a statistically significant increase (in points) between the first and second training sessions both in the PM (p = 0.001) and PI groups (p = 0.003); however, in the PI group this increase was higher compared to the PM group (36.4 % and 21.5 %, respectively). Conclusions. The results obtained during the experiment indicate the need to take into account the typological characteristics of the nervous system when using CMT in a virtual environment.