Mental practice combined with physical practice for upper-limb motor deficit in subacute stroke.
OBJECTIVE
This case report describes a patient with upper-limb hemiparesis (ULH) who received a program combining physical therapy for the affected side with mental practice.


METHODS
The patient was a 56-year-old man with stable motor deficits, including ULH, on his dominant side resulting from a right parietal infarct that occurred 5 months previously. He received physical therapy for an hour 3 times a week for 6 weeks. In addition, 2 times a week the patient listened to an audiotape instructing him to imagine himself functionally using the affected limb. The patient also listened to the audiotape at home 2 times a week. Pretreatment and posttreatment measures were the upper-extremity scale of the Fugl-Meyer Assessment of Sensorimotor Impairment (Fugl-Meyer Scale), the Action Research Arm Test (ARA), and the Stroke Rehabilitation Assessment of Movement (STREAM).


RESULTS
The patient exhibited reduction in impairment (Fugl-Meyer Scale) and improvement in arm function, as measured by the ARA and STREAM.


CONCLUSIONS
Mental practice may complement physical therapy to improve motor function after stroke.
Page
S J
SJ
Outcomes Research Department, Kessler Medical Research and Education Corporation, 1199 Pleasant Valley Way, West Orange, NJ 07051, USA. spage@kmrrec.org
Levine
P
P
Sisto
S A
SA
Johnston
M V
MV
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D001132:Arm / Q000503:physiopathology; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D048909:Diabetes Complications; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications; D019018:Imagery, Psychotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009048:Motor Skills; D026741:Physical Therapy Modalities / Q000379:methods*; D020127:Recovery of Function; D020521:Stroke / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D000071939:Stroke Rehabilitation; D019467:Subacute Care / Q000379:methods; D016896:Treatment Outcome