http://nnr.sagepub.com/content/early/2014/11/14/1545968314558598.full
- Wouter J. Harmsen, MSc1,2
- Johannes B. J. Bussmann, PhD1
- Ruud W. Selles, PhD1,3
- Henri L. P. Hurkmans, PhD1
- Gerard M. Ribbers, MD, PhD1,2
- 1Erasmus MC, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
- 2Rijndam Rehabilitation Centre, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
- 3Erasmus MC, Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
- Wouter J. Harmsen, MSc, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Erasmus MC–University Medical Center, Room: Ee 1622, Dr Molewaterplein 50, 3015 GE Rotterdam, Netherlands. Email: w.harmsen@erasmusmc.nl
Abstract
Background. Mirror therapy is a priming technique to improve motor function of the affected arm after stroke. Objective. To investigate whether a mirror therapy–based action observation (AO) protocol contributes to motor learning of the affected
arm after stroke. Methods. A total of 37
participants in the chronic stage after stroke were randomly allocated
to the AO or control observation (CO)
group. Participants were instructed to perform an
upper-arm reaching task as fast and as fluently as possible. All
participants
trained the upper-arm reaching task with their
affected arm alternated with either AO or CO. Participants in the AO
group
observed mirrored video tapes of reaching movements
performed by their unaffected arm, whereas participants in the CO group
observed static photographs of landscapes. The
experimental condition effect was investigated by evaluating the primary
outcome
measure: movement time (in seconds) of the reaching
movement, measured by accelerometry. Results. Movement time
decreased significantly in both groups: 18.3% in the AO and 9.1% in the
CO group. Decrease in movement time
was significantly more in the AO compared with the
CO group (mean difference = 0.14 s; 95% confidence interval = 0.02,
0.26;
P = .026). Conclusion. The present study showed that a mirror therapy–based AO protocol contributes to motor learning after stroke.
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