The Effects of Mirror Therapy on Upper Extremity in Stroke Patients

NCT ID: NCT01656876

Last Updated: 2015-11-05

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 60 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2010-09-30
• Study Completion Date: 2014-05-31

Brief Summary

The purpose of this study is to compare treatment efficacy of mirror therapy (MT), mirror therapy combining mesh glove (MG+MT) stimulation, and controlled treatment (CT) in people with stroke.

Detailed Description

55% to 75% of people after stroke have a paretic arm that causes motor impairment. Among novel rehabilitation interventions, MT was found to be beneficial and comparatively low-cost. MT reduced motor impairment possibly in part of recruiting the premotor cortex or balancing the neural activation within the primary motor cortex toward the affected hemisphere. However, the benefits in certain aspects of outcomes are under debate. Another treatment, MG, can be used to normalize muscle tone, suppress muscle spasticity, enhance residual volitional activity of hand and arm, or even increasing walking speed. In addition, providing MG stimulation might result in plastic changes in the primary motor cortex, and induced a long-lasting modulated effect on motor cortical excitability. The possible mechanism of brain plasticity underlying MG is collective with the mechanism behind the MT. Adding MG to MT might augment the cortical reorganization. In sum, combining MT with MG may supplement the disadvantage or uncertain effects of MT and broaden the benefited outcomes.

Conditions

Cerebrovascular Accident

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: FACTORIAL
• Primary Study Purpose: TREATMENT
• Blinding Strategy: SINGLE

Study Groups

Mirror therapy

mirror box training with or without sham mesh glove stimulation

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Mirror box training

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

This protocol includes 1 hour mirror therapy and 0.5 hour functional training in a session. The treatment intensity is 1.5 hours/day, 5 days/week, for 4 weeks. MT focuses on symmetrical bimanual movements and simultaneously observing the visual feedback of the unaffected upper extremity reflected by the mirror.

Mirror therapy + Mesh glove stimulation

Mirror therapy combined with mesh glove stimulation

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Mirror box training

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

This protocol includes 1 hour mirror therapy and 0.5 hour functional training in a session. The treatment intensity is 1.5 hours/day, 5 days/week, for 4 weeks. MT focuses on symmetrical bimanual movements and simultaneously observing the visual feedback of the unaffected upper extremity reflected by the mirror.

mesh glove stimulation

Intervention Type: OTHER

The MG is a two-channel electrical stimulator providing synchronous or reciprocal sensory stimulation with variant amplitudes.

Controlled intervention

conventional interventions

Group Type: ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

conventional intervention

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Participants in this group receive a structured protocol based on occupational therapy such as neuro-developmental techniques and task-oriented approach

Interventions

Mirror box training

This protocol includes 1 hour mirror therapy and 0.5 hour functional training in a session. The treatment intensity is 1.5 hours/day, 5 days/week, for 4 weeks. MT focuses on symmetrical bimanual movements and simultaneously observing the visual feedback of the unaffected upper extremity reflected by the mirror.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

mesh glove stimulation

The MG is a two-channel electrical stimulator providing synchronous or reciprocal sensory stimulation with variant amplitudes.

Intervention Type: OTHER

conventional intervention

Participants in this group receive a structured protocol based on occupational therapy such as neuro-developmental techniques and task-oriented approach

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Other Intervention Names

MT; MG; CI

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• The onset duration more than 3 months
• Demonstration of Brunnstrom stage equal to or above stage III of the affected upper extremity
• No serious cognitive deficits (a score of more than 24 on the Mini Mental State Exam)
• No serious visual and visual-perception impairments
• No concurrent participation in other drug or rehabilitation research
• No serious attention deficits

Exclusion Criteria

• Exhibit physician determined major medical problems or poor physical conditions that would interfere with participation
• Excessive pain in any joint that might limit participation

• Minimum Eligible Age: 20 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 75 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Sponsors

Taipei Medical University Hospital

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Responsibility Role: SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

Tsan-hon Liou, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Shuang-Ho Hospital, Taipei Medical University

Ching-yi Wu, ScD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Department of Occupational Therapy, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University

Keh-chung Lin, ScD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

School of Occupational Therapy, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University

Locations

Shuang-Ho Hospital, Taipei Medical University

New Taipei City, , Taiwan

Countries

Taiwan

Other Identifiers

CRC-09-10-08

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id