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Impact of Adapted Mirror Therapy on Individuals With Hemiparesis of the Upper Limb Following a Stroke

Impact of Adapted Mirror Therapy on Individuals With Hemiparesis of the Upper Limb Following a Stroke: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Status
Completed
Phases
NA
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT06301659
Enrollment
116
Registered
2024-03-08
Start date
2022-08-01
Completion date
2023-08-31
Last updated
2024-06-10

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

Conditions

Hemiparesis

Brief summary

Patients with upper limb hemiplegia after stroke, who were admitted in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, were enrolled. The study lasted 30 days for each participant. The patients enrolled were randomly divided into the experimental group and the control group, all under routine rehabilitation therapy. Additionally, the patients in the experimental group were given modified mirror therapy. On day 1 and day 30, patients' Upper Limb function were compared.

Detailed description

Upper limb hemiparesis is a motor and sensory disorder that occurs after stroke, with an incidence rate of up to 55% to 75%. This was a Randomized controlled trial. Patients with upper limb hemiplegia after stroke, who were admitted in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, were enrolled. The study lasted 30 days for each participant. The patients enrolled were randomly divided into the experimental group and the control group, all under routine rehabilitation therapy. Additionally, the patients in the experimental group were given modified mirror therapy. On day 1 and day 30, patients' Upper Limb function were compared.

Interventions

The Participants with stable vital signs were scheduled for specialized rehabilitation training upon enrollment, and targeted rehabilitation programs were selected based on the patient's specific limb function impairment, conducted by experienced rehabilitation therapists.

The patients were instructed to watch the recorded video and imitate the movements of their affected limbs. After the video ended, only the instructions and synchronized music were played. The patient was required to sit in front of a mirror table, with the mirror placed between both arms and facing the healthy side. The patient was required to recall the video based on the verbal instructions while using the healthy side to perform movement training. They were also asked to observe the reflected motion of the healthy limb in the mirror, simultaneously imagining the affected limb moving in sync (the patient focused on the front of the mirror, avoiding direct eye contact with the healthy hand, to create the sensation that it was the affected hand performing the movements).

Sponsors

Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

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

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
35 Years to 70 Years
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* Meeting the diagnostic criteria of stroke. * The first-onset stroke. * Presenting with unilateral upper limb dysfunction, within Brunnstrom stage Ⅱ to Ⅳ on the affected side, and Ash-worth score ≤2. * No obvious cognitive impairment, with Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score \>21 points. * National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score \>4 points. * Stable vital signs, no severe diseases such as cancer, liver or kidney disorders. * Aged 35-70 years. * Courses of diseases 2-6 weeks.

Exclusion criteria

* Presence of aphasia, apraxia, or hemispatial neglect. * Presence of hearing, vision, or comprehension impairments that hinder diagnosis and treatment. * Complicate with traumas, fractures, or other progressive neuro-muscular system diseases. * Severe spasticity in the upper limbs. * Severe bone, joint, or muscle deformities or lesions. * History of mental illness.

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Fugl-Meyer Assessment-Upper Extremityday 1 and day 30The Fugl-Meyer Assessment-Upper Extremity was used to evaluate the patient's upper limb function and motor control. It included the assessment of movements in the shoulder, elbow joint, wrist, and fingers. During the assessment, the assessor observed and recorded the patient's abilities and limitations in specific actions. Based on the patient's performance in each sub-item, the assessor assigned a score using a 0-2 scale, a score of 0 indicating inability to perform, 1 indicating partial ability, and 2 indicating full ability. Finally, the scores for each sub-item were summed up to obtain an overall upper limb function score of 0-66, with scores positively correlated with the upper limb function.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
coordinated contraction rate-Surface electromyographyday 1 and day 30The surface electromyography (sEMG) was used to assess the coordinated contraction rates of the biceps brachii on the affected upper limb. The surface electromyography device was used for detection, with the most prominent part of muscle belly of the biceps brachii serving as the monitoring points. During the maximum isometric voluntary contraction (MIVC) state of elbow flexion or extension, two channels were used to separately record the integrated electromyographic values (iEMG) of the biceps brachii, and the antagonists. Measurements were taken three times to obtain the maximum value, and the coordinated contraction rate (CR) during elbow flexion or extension under MIVC conditions was calculated using the formula: CR (%) = Antagonist muscle iEMG / (Agonist muscle iEMG + Antagonist muscle iEMG).
Visual Analog Scaleday 1 and day 30the pain level of the affected shoulder was measured using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), with 0 indicating no pain and 10 indicating unbearable severe pain. The lower score indicated the lighter pain.
Anxietyday 1 and day 30The anxiety was assessed using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), including items related to fear, worry, attention, etc. The total score ranged from 0 to 21, which was positively correlated with potential anxiety. In the previous study, the GAD-7 scale demonstrated a Cronbach's α-coefficient of 0.879. The scores range from 0 to 21. The higher scores mean a worse outcome.
Depressionday 1 and day 30The depression was assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), with aspects including mood swings, optimism, sleep quality, appetite, etc. The total score of PHQ-9 ranged from 0 to 27, which was positively correlated with potential depression. In the previous study, the PHQ-9 scale demonstrated a Cronbach's α-coefficient of 0.913.The scores range from 0 to 27.The higher scores mean a worse outcome.

Countries

China

Outcome results

None listed

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