Effects and Mechanisms of Treatment Intensity of Mirror Therapy in Patients With Subacute Stroke

Effects and Mechanisms of Treatment Intensity of Mirror Therapy in Patients With Subacute Stroke: Outcomes in Brain and Movement Reorganization, Sensorimotor and Daily Functions, and Measures of Physiological Markers.

Status

Completed

Phases

Study type

Interventional

Source

ClinicalTrials.gov

Registry ID

NCT01655160

Enrollment

Registered

2012-08-01

Start date

2012-08-31

Completion date

2015-03-31

Last updated

2015-06-08

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

Conditions

Cerebrovascular Accident

Keywords

Stroke rehabilitation, Mirror therapy, Functional performance, Kinematic analysis, Functional magnetic resonance image, Motor recovery

Brief summary

The purpose of this study will evaluate the long-term benefits, optimal dose and mechanisms of mirror therapy and its effects on physiological markers.

Detailed description

This trial is to examine whether (1) the immediate effects of treatment intensity in MT would occur on sensorimotor impairments and functional performance in patients with subacute stroke; (2) the long-term benefits of treatment intensity in MT on functionality can persist for six months after treatment finished; and (3) the MT could result in cortical/movement reorganization as well as the changes in physiological markers.

Interventions

BEHAVIORALMT with low-intensity group (MT-LI)

The MT-LI group will receive a 30-minute MT per session followed by a 30-minute functional training.

BEHAVIORALMT with moderate-intensity group

The MT-MI group will receive a 60-minute MT per session followed by a 30-minute functional training.

BEHAVIORALMirror therapy with high intensity group

The MT-HI group will receive a 90-minute MT per session followed by a 30-minute functional training

BEHAVIORALControl intervention group

The CI group will carry out a 30-minute conventional stroke rehabilitation training per session followed by a 30-minute functional training.

Study design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Intervention model

PARALLEL

Primary purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

DOUBLE (Subject, Outcomes Assessor)

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

ALL

Age

18 Years to 75 Years

Healthy volunteers

Inclusion criteria

* first episode of stroke in cortical regions * time since stroke less than 3 months * initial motor part of UE of FMA score ranging from 24 to 52 * no serious cognitive impairment

Exclusion criteria

* aphasia * visual impairments * major health problems or poor physical conditions * currently participation in any other

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame	Description
Action Research Arm Test (ARAT)	Baseline, change of ARAT at 2 weeks, and change of ARAT at 4 weeks	ARAT will be used to assess the motor function of UE. A total of 19 items are to test the movement of grasp, grip, pinch, and gross motor, with a scale of 0-3 for each item (maximal of 57).
ABILHAND Questionnaire	Baseline, change of ABILHAND Questionnaire at 2 weeks, and change of ABILHAND Questionnaire at 4 weeks	ABILHAND questionnaire is an inventory of 56 manual activities that uses a 3-point ordinal scale to measure subjectively perceived difficulty in performing everyday bimanual activity.
Adelaide Activities Profile (AAP)	Baseline, change of AAP at 2 weeks, and change of AAP at 4 weeks	AAP will be applied to indicate the level of participation in household and community activities. This profile includes 21 activities in the four areas: domestic chores, household maintenance, service to others, and social activities.
Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA)	Baseline, change from baseline in FMA at 2 weeks, and change from baseline in FMA at 4 weeks	The UE subscale of the FMA (max. score 66) uses a 3-point ordinal scale to assess motor impairment.
Motor Activity Log (MAL)	Baseline, change of MAL at 2 weeks, and change of MAL at 4 weeks	The MAL is a semi-structured interview of patients to assess the amount of use (AOU) and quality of movement (QOM) of the affected upper extremity in 30 important daily activities using a 6-point ordinal scale. Higher scores indicate better performance.

Secondary

Measure	Time frame	Description
Physiological marker measures	Baseline and change from baseline in physiological marker measures at 4 weeks	measure inflammatory markers, oxidative stress markers, and erythrocyte deformability.
Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)	Baseline and change of fMRI at 4 weeks	uses the blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) response to evaluate the brain reorganization after intervention.

Countries

Taiwan

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026