Stroke
Conditions
Keywords
Motor imagery, Motor skill, Performance improvement
Brief summary
The purpose of the study is to examine if patients in the embedded motor imagery (MI) training group (EG1) need less time to perform the motor task than patients in the added MI training group (EG2).
Detailed description
The purpose of the study is to examine if patients in the embedded MI training into physiotherapy (EG1) need less time to perform the motor task than patients in the added MI training to physiotherapy (EG2). A third groups serves a control group (CG) to investigate the effect of the intervention versus a group with a control intervention. Additionally, semi-structured interviews before and after the intervention will give an insight in the patient's experience with motor imagery (MI), their expectations regarding the intervention and their opinions about MI after the intervention.
Interventions
OTHERMotor imagery (MI) training
MI training encloses the internal rehearsal of a known motor skill without any overt motor output.
OTHERControl intervention
The control intervention encloses relaxation and breathing exercises, and information about: * the disease (stroke), * therapy options, * self-help groups and their offers for support, * helping aids for independent living at home.
Sponsors
Oxford Brookes University
Reha Rheinfelden
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE (Outcomes Assessor)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* Patients after a first-ever ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke * Outpatients or leaving inpatients 3 months after stroke * Ability to stand with or without a cane for at least 30 sec on a normal hard floor * Ability to walk for 20 metres with or without a cane or an orthosis * MMSE with at least 20 points * Age older than 18 years * Signed written informed consent
Exclusion criteria
* Joint replacements (knee, hip, shoulder) * Limiting pain in the upper or lower body * Limiting range of motion (ROM) in the hip, knee, ankle joint or toes * Body weight more than 90 kilograms * Compromised mental capacity to give written informed consent
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| Time in seconds to perform a motor task: Going down, laying on the floor and getting up again. | 2 weeks |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| Further outcome measures: - Help needed to perform the task, scored on a 7-item scale (1 total help, 7 completely independent) - Stage of motor task (one out of 13 possible stages) | 2 weeks |
| Motor impairment and independence measured with the extended Barthel index (EBI). | 2 weeks |
| Balance measured with the Berg Balance Scale (BBS). | 2 weeks |
| Motor imagery ability measured with the kinesthetic and visual motor imagery questionnaire (KVIQ) and the 'Imaprax 1.1' software. | 2 weeks |
| Fear of falling (FOF) is measured with the Activities-Specific Balance Confidence Scale (ABC-scale). | 2 weeks |
Countries
Switzerland
Outcome results
None listed