Kinesiotaping and Constraint Induced Movement Therapy in Subacute Stroke

Summary

In stroke patients, the most common neurological deficits were motor impairment, loss of somatosensation, abnormal muscle tone, and impaired fractionated movement at affected limbs. Therefore, the investigators try to facilitate upper extremity function and normalize the muscle tone to enlarge their capacity to perform daily activities and to improve life quality by modified constraint-induced movement therapy (mCIMT) and Kinesiotaping (KT).

The investigators will collect 90 subacute stroke patients with hemiplegia in this study. These 90 patients will be randomly divided into 3 groups. In KT group (n=30), the patients will perform Kinesiology taping for 5 days per week for 3 weeks. In mCIMT group (n=30), the patient will receive constraint the unaffected limb for 2 hours a day, 5 days a week for three weeks. In KT+mCIMT group, the KT and mCIMT interventions would be performed for 5 days a week in three weeks. All the patients in KT, CIMT and KT+mCIMT groups will receive 20-minute hand function training twice daily for 5 days per week for 3 weeks. Before intervention, immediately and 3 week later after intervention, all patients will receive the physical examinations including motor recovery stage (Brunnstrom stage), spasticity (modified Ashworth scale and Tardieu scale), and sensation. Fugl-Meyer assessment for upper extremity (FMA-UE), box and block test, Simple Test for Evaluating Hand Function (STEF), and Wolf Motor Function Test for hand function, ADL and quality of life assessment and musculoskeletal sonography for affected forearms will be also evaluated in this study.

The aims of this study are:

1. To investigate the effect of Kinesiotaping and modified CIMT in improving upper extremity function and spasticity for subacute stroke patients with hemiplegia.
2. To explore the role of sonoelastography and shear wave velocity in poststroke spasticity assessment.

Conditions

• Stroke

Interventions

DEVICE

Kinesiotaping

Kinesio tape would be applied over the extensor muscles of the affected hand for facilitating the extension of hand. We will apply the tape from the upper 1/3 length of dorsal side of the forearm and split the tape into five equal bars to the distal interphalangeal joint of each finger along the finger bones. This intervention would be executed for five days per week for three weeks.

BEHAVIORAL

modified Constraint Induced Movement Training

A 2-hour time period would be arranged to constraint patient's unaffected hand by using a bandage by a therapist. During this two hours, patients would not be allowed to use this unaffected to do any activity, so that they will need to use the affected hand. The caregivers would also be educated to provide less help if it is not necessary. This intervention would be executed two hours a day for five days per week, for three weeks.

DEVICE

Sham taping

A short piece of kinesio tape would be cut into half and applied over the lateral side of the forearm from the lateral epicondyle till the half of the forearm. The tape would not cover the both the flexor and extensor muscle bellies.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Chang Gung Memorial Hospital

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Yu-Chi Huang, MD · Chang Gung Memorial Hospital

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

QUADRUPLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Max Age

80 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2018-10-01

Primary Completion

2019-11-06

Completion

2019-12-10

Countries

• Taiwan

Study Locations