Hopefully your doctor can use this to create protocols for your use.
Auwal Abdullahi 1, Thomson W. L. Wong 1 and Shamay S. M. Ng 1,*
Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic
University, Hong Kong, China
*Correspondence: shamay.ng@polyu.edu.hk
Abstract
Rehabilitation
of severe impairment in motor function following stroke is very
challenging. This is because one of driving forces for recovery of motor
function is tasks practice, something this category of patients cannot
voluntarily perform. However, it has now been shown that tasks practice
can equally be carried out cognitively and through observation of
another person’s practice, using techniques known as mental practice and
tasks observation respectively. Mental practice and tasks observation
are believed to activate networks of neurons in the brain known as
mirror neurons and mentalizing systems to induce recovery. The
effectiveness of these techniques has however limited evidence at the
moment. One possible explanation for this could be the nature of the
protocols of these techniques, especially as regards to the intensity of
practice. This article proposes ways the potentials of the mirror
neurons and mentalizing systems can be harnessed to optimize recovery of
severe impairment in motor function using mental practice and tasks
observation. The article suggests, among other ways, protocols where
tasks observation or mirror therapy are carried out first, and are then
followed by mental practice increasing the number of times the tasks are
observed or mentalized observation of significant others performing the
tasks and mentals.
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