Mirror Therapy in Sensorimotor Recovery of Paretic Upper Extremity After Chronic Stroke

Summary

Stroke is characterized by poor brain perfusion resulting from an ischemic or hemorrhagic event, causing a sensorimotor disorder in the upper extremity (UE) contralateral to the lesion. Mirror Therapy (MT) has been used in rehabilitation and its effects are related to the activation of mirror neurons and cortical reorganization. However, few studies have investigated the isolated effect of MT on the rehabilitation of these individuals.

Objective: To investigate the isolated effect of MT on motor function, sensitivity, muscle strength, manual dexterity and spasticity of the paretic UE of individuals with chronic hemiparesis after stroke.

Design: Randomized simple-blind trial. Subject: Twenty-six patients post chronic, aged between 30 and 80 years, with mild or moderate sensorimotor impairment in UE will be evaluated.

Intervention: The subjects will be randomly distributed in: intervention group will perform 60 minutes of MT and the control group will perform 60 minutes of control therapy composed of the same exercises, but without the mirror. Both groups will hold two sessions per week for six weeks.

Main measure: Participants will be evaluated before and after the intervention. They will be evaluated through the Fugl-Meyer Scale to measure UL sensorimotor performance, Box-and-Block Test for manual dexterity, Dynamometry for palmar grip strength and Modified Ashworth Scale for spasticity. With this study, it was expected that the intervention group presented better results regarding the sensorimotor function when compared to the control group.

The data will be expressed as mean and 95% confidence interval (continuous variable) and absolute frequency (categorical variables). To compare the outcomes of the different experimental sessions and at the different moments (pre and post session), the Generalized Estimating Equations with post hoc LSD (Least Significant Difference) methods will be used. For all analysis the significance level was set at α = 0.05 and statistical software SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences for Mac, version 22.0, IBM, USA) will be used.

Conditions

• Stroke

Interventions

OTHER

Mirror therapy intervention and control intervention

The exercise protocol will be composed of bimanual activities, performed by both the hands of the patient (paretic and healthy). The same protocol will be applied for both groups (intervention group and control group). Initially, the desensitization of the limbs will be accomplished by brushing the skin with objects of different textures (sponge, brush, cloths). Afterwards, isolated exercises of fingers (flexion-extension, opposition), wrists (flexo-extension), forearms (prono-supination) and elbows (flexo-extension) and functional exercises such as cleaning a table with a cloth, tightening sponges, roll balls. Each exercise will be performed slowly and repeated for 15 times, totaling three series of each exercise. The protocol used will be based on the proposal of Rothgangel and Braun (2013). The intervention will be carried out by the author of the project and by students of scientific initiation.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Federal University of Health Science of Porto Alegre

  lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

SINGLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

30 Years

Max Age

80 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2019-07-03

Primary Completion

2019-11-30

Completion

2019-12-31

Countries

• Brazil

Study Locations