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The Effects of Unilateral and Bilateral Mirror Therapy on Upper Extremity Function in Early Subacute Stroke.

The Effects of Unilateral and Bilateral Mirror Therapy on Upper Extremity Function in Early Subacute Stroke: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial.

Status
Completed
Phases
Unknown
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT06103045
Enrollment
49
Registered
2023-10-26
Start date
2023-02-07
Completion date
2025-07-04
Last updated
2026-05-20

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

Conditions

Stroke (Subacute)

Keywords

Stroke, unilateral mirror therapy, bilateral mirror therapy, motor function of upper extremity, early subacute

Brief summary

Objective: To comparing the effects of unilateral and bilateral mirror therapy on upper extremity function of stroke at early subacute stage. We hypothesize there are different effects between unilateral and bilateral mirror therapy on stroke patients at early subacute stage. Method: Patients with unilateral stroke and the onset within one month will be recruited and then randomly allocated to one of the three groups (including unilateral mirror therapy, bilateral mirror therapy, and conventional occupational therapy). Patient will receive 20 consecutive sessions of intervention (5 time per week, totally 4 weeks) and assessments before and after the intervention within one week. In each intervention session, patients will receive 30 minutes unilateral or bilateral mirror therapy depending on their allocated groups and then 30 conventional occupational therapy. The patients recruited in the conventional occupational therapy group will receive 60 minute conventional therapy. The outcome measures at pre- and post-treatment will including the Fugl-Meyer Assessment for upper extremity (FMA-UE), the Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS), the Jamar Hydraulic Hand Dynamometer, the Chedoke Arm and Hand Activity Inventory (CAHAI), and the Revised Nottingham Sensory Assessment (rNSA).

Interventions

OTHERunilateral and bilateral mirror therapy

The mirror box is placed on a table in the sagittal plane of the participant. The affected upper extremity of the participant is hidden in the morror box and the unaffected upper extremity is placed symmetrically. During the unilateral or bilateral mirror therapy, the participant is requested to execute a serial of movements and tasks and pay attention on observing the reflection of the unaffected side in the mirror simultaneously. In the bilateral mirror therapy, the participant also has to move the affected upper extremity simultaneously; while in the unilateral mirror therapy, the participant only keeps the affected side relaxed.

Sponsors

National Taiwan University Hospital Hsin-Chu Branch
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE (Outcomes Assessor)

Masking description

The outcomes assessors in charrge of pre- and post-test assessments were blinded to randomized allocation and intervention.

Intervention model description

Patients with unilateral stroke and the onset within one month will be recruited and then randomly allocated to one of the three groups (including unilateral mirror therapy, bilateral mirror therapy, and conventional occupational therapy).

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
20 Years to 85 Years
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* Unilateral stroke onset within 1 month * The score of Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) is more than 24 * The score of Fugl-Meyer Assessment for upper extremity (FMA-UE) is between 18 to 56 * The score of Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS) is less than 3 * Willing to receive 3-5 sessions of the intervention per week, total 20 sessions consecutively * Willing to sign informed consent

Exclusion criteria

* Unstable vital sign or complicating with other symptoms of neurological disease * Auditory or visual function impairment * Complicating with perceptual impairment (e.g., apraxia, neglect, or visual agnosia) * Receiving botulinum toxin injection within 3 months * Complicating with Wernicke's or Broca's aphasia

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Fugl-Meyer Assessment for upper extremity (FMA-UE)pre-treatment: before intervention within a week; post-treatment: after intervention within a weekThe FMA-UE is a commonly used assessment in clinical for the extent of motor impairment of upper extremity post-stroke. The score ranged from 0 to 66. The psychometric properties of the FMA-UE had established, and there was also good responsiveness in the past studies.
The Jamar Hydraulic Hand Dynamometerpre-treatment: before intervention within a week; post-treatment: after intervention within a weekThe Jamar Hydraulic Hand Dynamometer is a gold standard assessment tool for measuring muscle power including the grip strength, palmar pinch, and lateral pinch.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS)pre-treatment: before intervention within a week; post-treatment: after intervention within a weekThe MAS is a clinical measurement for muscle spasticity. The score is ranged from 0 to 4. The shoulder, elbow, forearm, wrist, and fingers will be assessed. The psychometric properties of the MAS had established in the past studies.
Chedoke Arm and Hand Activity Inventory (CAHAI)pre-treatment: before intervention within a week; post-treatment: after intervention within a weekThe CAHAI is used for the involvement of the impairment upper extremity during the bimanual tasks. There are 13 item and each score is ranged from 1-7. The psychometric properties of the CAHAI had established in the past studies.
Revised Nottingham Sensory Assessment (rNSA)pre-treatment: before intervention within a week; post-treatment: after intervention within a weekThe rNSA is developed for assessing sensory function of patients with stroke. The reliability of rNSA was established in the past study.

Countries

Taiwan

Contacts

STUDY_DIRECTORChia-Yi Lin, MS

National Taiwan University Hospital Hsin-Chu Branch

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: May 21, 2026