title: The impact of mental practice on stroke patients' postural balance.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The most common problem in stroke patients is reduced balance and derangements of postural control that lead to increase the chance of falling and instability during walking. Since physical practice improves balance and postural control, it is assumed also that the application of mental practice would be useful in enhancing such balance. Mental practice is defined as the cognitive rehearsal of a physical skill in the absence of overt physical movements. Factors such as similar time between actual execution and mental performance of a task, the increase of regional cerebral blood flow and also the vegetative activation, all suggest that mental practice imitates physical performance of a task. Thus, the main purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of such mental practice on postural balance among stroke survivors.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study was implemented as an experimental (interventional), case-control, double blind and randomized trial design. A total of 30 subjects (16 males and 14 females) with necessary arousal, attention and memory functions as their major components of mental practice, participated. Subjects' mean ages were 48.1 ± 10.5 years. They were divided randomly in two control and experimental groups. Timed Get up and Go (TUG) test was used to evaluate the balance of all participants. They were assessed before-after treatment and two weeks post-treatment as research's follow up. The two groups received the same method of occupational therapy services, but the experimental group in addition to aforementioned occupational therapy, was requested to participate in mental practice sessions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mental practice had a significant effect on postural balance in stroke survivors (P=<0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Mental practice may improve postural balance in stroke patients and can be considered for them as a beneficial rehabilitative technique.
authors.affiliation: Occupational Therapy Dept., University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: S Ali
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Hosseini
authors.forename: Mandana
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fallahpour
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sayadi
authors.forename: Masoud
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gharib
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Haghgoo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D019018:Imagery, Psychotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008609:Mental Status Schedule; D008875:Middle Aged; D004856:Postural Balance / Q000502:physiology*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012678:Sensation Disorders / Q000209:etiology* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D020521:Stroke / Q000150:complications*; D016896:Treatment Outcome