Mirror therapy in children with hemiplegia

Mirror therapy in children with hemiplegia: a prospective randomized single-blinded trial

Status

Active, not recruiting

Phases

Unknown

Study type

Interventional

Source

ISRCTN

Registry ID

ISRCTN48748291

Enrollment

100

Registered

2013-03-04

Start date

2013-01-07

Completion date

Unknown

Last updated

2016-10-17

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Spastic hemiplegia Nervous System Diseases Spastic hemiplegia

Interventions

Both groups will take part in a home-based 5-week motor training programme, 5 days per week. Participants will accomplish a standardised daily routine of 15 minutes of symmetrical bimanual activities,

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

All

Inclusion criteria

Inclusion criteria: 1. Age 7 to 16 years old, either sex 2. Hemiplegia diagnosed by a paediatric neurologist or paediatric rehabilitation specialist

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion criteria: 1. Mental age below 7 years 2. Behavioural comorbidities, especially untreated Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) 3. Moderate to severe visual defects, including hemianopsia 4. Focal spasticity treatment to the upper limb during the four months preceding inclusion (botulinum toxin, surgery)

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame
1. Maximal hand strength: Palmar grasp strength and thumb-forefinger pinch strength will be measured with specific dynamometers (respectively a 30 ppsi pneumatic dynamometer, Baseline®, USA and a 30 lbs mechanical pinch gauge, Baseline®, USA). Patients will be instructed to perform a maximal effort for each of these tasks that will be repeated three times at 30 second intervals. The maximal value will be retained for analysis. Two series of strength measurements will be performed, with and without a mirror box, in a random order to determine the immediate effect of mirror feedback on strength generation. 2. Melbourne assessment of unilateral upper limb function: The Melbourne Assessment measures quality of unilateral upper limb movement in children with neurological conditions, aged 5-15 years. The assessment is designed to be a simple, easy to administer test that provides information about levels of ability/disability.	—

Measure

Time frame

1. Maximal hand strength: Palmar grasp strength and thumb-forefinger pinch strength will be measured with specific dynamometers (respectively a 30 ppsi pneumatic dynamometer, Baseline®, USA and a 30 lbs mechanical pinch gauge, Baseline®, USA). Patients will be instructed to perform a maximal effort for each of these tasks that will be repeated three times at 30 second intervals. The maximal value will be retained for analysis. Two series of strength measurements will be performed, with and without a mirror box, in a random order to determine the immediate effect of mirror feedback on strength generation. 2. Melbourne assessment of unilateral upper limb function: The Melbourne Assessment measures quality of unilateral upper limb movement in children with neurological conditions, aged 5-15 years. The assessment is designed to be a simple, easy to administer test that provides information about levels of ability/disability.

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Secondary

Measure	Time frame
1. ABILHAND-Kids: This is a measure of manual ability in daily life and explores a representative inventory of 21 manual activities. The score is built on parents? perception of their child?s performance. 2. Sensory testing: This will include two-point discrimination and proprioception testing with vision occluded. For two-point discrimination we will use a two-point aesthesiometer (Baseline®, USA) which contains a mobile pair of prongs that can be fixed from 1 to 130 mm apart. Moving two-point discrimination will be measured on the volar surfaces of the distal phalanxes of the thumb, forefinger and little finger, of the hand and the forearm according to the protocol in order to determine the smallest distance between two points that the subject identifies without an error. Proprioception at the level of the metacarpophalangeal joints of the thumb, forefinger and little finger will be measured, the number of correct responses out of five being scored (correct identification of flexion vs extension).	—

Measure

Time frame

1. ABILHAND-Kids: This is a measure of manual ability in daily life and explores a representative inventory of 21 manual activities. The score is built on parents? perception of their child?s performance. 2. Sensory testing: This will include two-point discrimination and proprioception testing with vision occluded. For two-point discrimination we will use a two-point aesthesiometer (Baseline®, USA) which contains a mobile pair of prongs that can be fixed from 1 to 130 mm apart. Moving two-point discrimination will be measured on the volar surfaces of the distal phalanxes of the thumb, forefinger and little finger, of the hand and the forearm according to the protocol in order to determine the smallest distance between two points that the subject identifies without an error. Proprioception at the level of the metacarpophalangeal joints of the thumb, forefinger and little finger will be measured, the number of correct responses out of five being scored (correct identification of flexion vs extension).

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Countries

Switzerland

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ISRCTN (via WHO ICTRP) · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026