Biomedical Instrumentation in the Study of Mirror Therapy in Elderly's Hands Motor Activity

NCT ID: NCT02104102

Last Updated: 2014-04-04

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: UNKNOWN
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 60 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2014-01-31
• Study Completion Date: 2014-12-31

Brief Summary

Check if the Mirror therapy represents an effective method in improving the motor activity of the hands of institutionalized elderly.

Detailed Description

Among the various functions impaired by aging there is the muscle function, which indirectly affects the quality of life for seniors, since it is crucial to the progressive increase of the debilitating condition, leading to difficulties in carrying out everyday tasks and often making them dependent on the assistance of others. The possible neural mechanisms underlying this decrease in muscle function associated with aging include changes undefined in Central Nervous System, a delay in conduction velocity of motor nerve fibers and in transmission of the neuromuscular junction. In this context, it is necessary to develop procedures that reduce the functional losses and decrease the negative effects of the aging process, increasing the quality of life for seniors. Mirror Therapy (MT) is the one of those possible procedures, which is based on the activation of mirror neurons from the illusion generated by viewing the reflection of a member in a mirror. When performing a movement with a member who is in your field of vision, generated the reflection in the mirror is able to offer the brain a new, albeit illusory visual stimulus, suggesting that covert member is moving. This illusion promotes the activation of mirror neurons located in the sensorimotor cortex region and the progression of therapy, this activation drives cortical plasticity that promotes the reestablishment of functions, such as motor coordination and increased range of motion. Therefore, MT is a promising technique to reduce the functional losses of aging. It is then suggested the implementation of a protocol for functional recovery of MT hands in institutionalized elderly and the measurement of electromyographic activity of the wrist, the range and speed of movement, the writing skill and the application of a questionnaire to Katz index calculation in order to investigate whether the technique can benefit this public.

Conditions

Muscle Weakness Conditions

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Blinding Strategy: NONE

Study Groups

Mirror group

Composed of 30 volunteers who carry out the mirror therapy, whose name shall Mirror Group (MG).

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Mirror Therapy

Intervention Type: OTHER

Mirror Therapy, which is based on the activation of mirror neurons from the illusion generated by viewing the reflection of a member in a mirror, that is, intended to facilitate the movement through the practice of bilateral symmetric activities, since it is able to stimulate cortical plasticity, promoting reversal of the decrease and the reestablishment of motor function.

Control Group - kinesiotherapy

Called by Control Group (CG), composed of 30 volunteers who will carry out the kinesiotherapy with the same sequence of movements for the Mirror Therapy that the MG, but without the view in the mirror, since it will be blocked.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Kinesiotherapy

Intervention Type: OTHER

Hands movements.

Interventions

Mirror Therapy

Mirror Therapy, which is based on the activation of mirror neurons from the illusion generated by viewing the reflection of a member in a mirror, that is, intended to facilitate the movement through the practice of bilateral symmetric activities, since it is able to stimulate cortical plasticity, promoting reversal of the decrease and the reestablishment of motor function.

Intervention Type: OTHER

Kinesiotherapy

Hands movements.

Intervention Type: OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• 60 years old or more
• Institutionalized elderly
• Ability to understand and sign the Informed Consent Form. In case of illiteracy, the term will be read to the volunteer and signed by him in the case of functional illiteracy or by officials of the asylum
• Ability to perform analysis of writing skills throughout the proposed protocol
• Cognitive preserved, being able to respond to the examiner's command

Exclusion Criteria

• Disabling pain to perform movements with their arms
• Active infection and rash at the application site of EMG
• Severe uncorrected visual deficit
• Deficit uncorrected severe hearing
• Neurological disorders

• Minimum Eligible Age: 60 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

Universidade do Vale do Paraíba

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Responsibility Role: SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

Rani S Alves, Graduate

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Universidade do Vale do Paraíba

Locations

Laboratory of Sensory and Motor Rehabilitation Engineering

São José dos Campos, São Paulo, Brazil

Site Status: RECRUITING

Countries

Brazil

Central Contacts

Rani S Alves, Graduate

Role: CONTACT

rani.souzaalves@gmail.com

5512981638109

Mário O Lima, Professor

Role: CONTACT

mol@univap.br

551239471000 ext. 2066

Facility Contacts

Rani S Alves, Masters

Role: primary

rani.souzaalves@gmail.com

5512981638109

Mário O Lima, Professor

Role: backup

mol@univap.br

551239471000 ext. 2066

Other Identifiers

24581613.0.0000.5503

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id