Effect of mental practice using inverse video of the unaffected upper limb in a subject with chronic hemiparesis after stroke.
[Purpose] The aim of this case study was to investigate whether a method of mental practice (MP) using an inverse video of a subject's unaffected limb to complement the vividness of motor imagery (MI) would be effective for improving affected upper limb function. [Subjects and Methods] The participant was 60-year-old male in the chronic stage of stroke recovery with left sided hemiparesis. The design of the study was AB method of Single-System-Design. He performed the MP as a home program with DVD. The intervention lasted 30 minutes a session, twice a day, 5 times a week, over 6 weeks. The DVD was created using inverse video of his unaffected upper limb. Primary outcome measures were used the Fugl-Meyer Assessment for upper limb (FMA) and the Motor Activity Log (MAL) 3 times each baseline, intervention and follow-up. The subjective vividness of MI was assessed by the Visual Analog Scale (VAS). [Results] FMA and MAL score during intervention was improved significantly comparing to baseline, and maintained in withdrawal. VAS score was improved in withdrawal comparing to baseline. [Conclusion] Results suggested that effect of mental practice for stroke patients increased by vividness of motor imagery was improved by the inverse video.
Medical Corporation Toujinkai Miharadai Hospital, Japan; Unit of Rehabilitation Sciences, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Japan.
Naoki
N
Iso
Medical Corporation Toujinkai Miharadai Hospital, Japan.
Shirou
S
Ooso
Medical Corporation Toujinkai Miharadai Hospital, Japan.
Noboru
N
Yamamoto
Unit of Rehabilitation Sciences, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Japan; Research Fellow of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Japan.
Takefumi
T
Moriuchi
Shinshu University School of Health Science, Japan.
Akira
A
Sagari
Unit of Physical and Occupational Therapy, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Japan.
Fumiko
F
Iso
Unit of Physical and Occupational Therapy, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Japan.
Koji
K
Tanaka
Kagoshima University Faculty of Medicine School of Health Sciences, Japan.
Takayuki
T
Tabira
Unit of Rehabilitation Sciences, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Japan.
Toshio
T
Higashi
Inverse video; Mental practice; Stroke