Mirror therapy improves hand function in subacute stroke: a randomized controlled trial.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the effects of mirror therapy on upper-extremity motor recovery, spasticity, and hand-related functioning of inpatients with subacute stroke.


METHODS
Randomized, controlled, assessor-blinded, 4-week trial, with follow-up at 6 months.


METHODS
Rehabilitation education and research hospital.


METHODS
A total of 40 inpatients with stroke (mean age, 63.2y), all within 12 months poststroke.


METHODS
Thirty minutes of mirror therapy program a day consisting of wrist and finger flexion and extension movements or sham therapy in addition to conventional stroke rehabilitation program, 5 days a week, 2 to 5 hours a day, for 4 weeks.


METHODS
The Brunnstrom stages of motor recovery, spasticity assessed by the Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS), and hand-related functioning (self-care items of the FIM instrument).


RESULTS
The scores of the Brunnstrom stages for the hand and upper extremity and the FIM self-care score improved more in the mirror group than in the control group after 4 weeks of treatment (by 0.83, 0.89, and 4.10, respectively; all P<.01) and at the 6-month follow-up (by 0.16, 0.43, and 2.34, respectively; all P<.05). No significant differences were found between the groups for the MAS.


CONCLUSIONS
In our group of subacute stroke patients, hand functioning improved more after mirror therapy in addition to a conventional rehabilitation program compared with a control treatment immediately after 4 weeks of treatment and at the 6-month follow-up, whereas mirror therapy did not affect spasticity.
Yavuzer
Gunes
G
Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Ankara University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey. gyavuzer@medicine.ankara.edu.tr
Selles
Ruud
R
Sezer
Nebahat
N
Sütbeyaz
Serap
S
Bussmann
Johannes B
JB
Köseoğlu
Füsun
F
Atay
Mesut B
MB
Stam
Henk J
HJ
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006225:Hand / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009128:Muscle Spasticity / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D026741:Physical Therapy Modalities / Q000295:instrumentation*; D011336:Probability; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular / Q000502:physiology; D020127:Recovery of Function; D012016:Reference Values; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D020521:Stroke / Q000175:diagnosis; D000071939:Stroke Rehabilitation; D016896:Treatment Outcome