title: Effect of task-based mirror therapy on motor recovery of the upper extremity in chronic stroke patients: a pilot study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Mirror therapy (MT) is an alternative therapeutic intervention that uses the interaction of visuomotor-proprioception inputs to enhance movement performance of the impaired limb. Despite strong evidence for task-specific training in stroke, MT has been investigated using nontask movements. The aim of this pilot study was to assess the effectiveness of task-based MT on motor recovery of the upper extremity in chronic stroke patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a pretest-posttest single-group design, a convenience sample of 13 chronic stroke patients at an occupational therapy department of a rehabilitation institute was assessed on a task-based MT intervention. Participants received a task-based MT program, performing various tasks by the less affected upper extremity and observing in the mirror box along with conventional management, 4 days per week for 4 weeks. Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA), which includes subsection upper extremity (FMA-UE) and subpart upper arm (FMA-UA) and hand (FMA-WH), was used as an outcome measure.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Participants showed no significant improvement for FMA-UE and FMA-UA at postassessment. FMA-UE changed from 43% to 51%. Post FMA-UA score showed only 2% improvement. However, there was statistically significant improvement on mean scores of FMA-WH at postassessment (16.21 ± 3.06) as compared with the prescores (12.29 ± 3.1; P < .05). FMA-WH improved from 41% to 54%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The preliminary findings suggest that task-based MT is effective in improving wrist and hand motor recovery in chronic stroke patients. Further studies in the form of randomized trials are needed to validate its effectiveness.
authors.affiliation: Pt. Deendayal Upadhyaya Institute for the Physically Handicapped (University of Delhi), Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, Government of India, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Kamal Narayan
authors.initials: KN
authors.lastname: Arya
authors.forename: Shanta
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pandian
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D019018:Imagery, Psychotherapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology*; D009788:Occupational Therapy; D010865:Pilot Projects; D020127:Recovery of Function; D020521:Stroke / Q000503:physiopathology; D000071939:Stroke Rehabilitation; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D034941:Upper Extremity