Effects of a mirror-induced visual illusion on a reaching task in stroke patients: Implications for mirror therapy training

A very simple question for your doctor.  
Does this work? 
What is the protocol to be used?
Do not attempt this on your own, you know how dangerous looking into a mirror is if you haven't been properly trained by your therapist.
http://search.naric.com/research/rehab/redesign_record.cfm?search=2&type=all&criteria=J69565&phrase=no&rec=125897

NARIC Accession Number: J69565.  What's this?
ISSN: 1545-9683.
Author(s): Selles, Ruud W.; Michielsen, Marian E.; Bussmann, Johannes B. J.; Stam, Henk J.; Hurkmans, Henri L.; Heijnen, Iris; de Groot, Danielle; Ribbers, Gerard M..
Publication Year: 2014.
Number of Pages: 8.
Abstract: Study determined the relative contribution of a mirror in training a reaching task and of unilateral and bimanual training with a mirror. A total of 93 stroke patients at least 6 months poststroke were instructed to perform a reaching task as fast and as fluently as possible. At baseline and follow-up, patients performed 6 trials using only their paretic side. They performed 70 practice trials after being randomly allocated to 1 of 5 experimental groups: training with (1) the paretic arm with direct view (Paretic-No Mirror), (2) the nonparetic arm with direct view (Nonparetic-No Mirror), (3) the nonparetic arm with mirror reflection (Nonparetic Mirror), (4) both sides and with a nontransparent screen preventing visual control of paretic side (Bilateral-Screen), and (5) both sides with mirror reflection of the nonparetic arm (Bilateral-Mirror). Primary outcome measure was the movement time. The largest intervention effect was found in the Paretic-No Mirror condition. However, the Nonparetic-Mirror condition was not significantly different from the Paretic-No Mirror condition, while the Unaffected-No Mirror condition had significantly less improvement than the Paretic-No Mirror condition. In addition, movement time improved significantly less in the bimanual conditions and there was no difference between both bimanual conditions or between both mirror conditions. Results confirm that using a mirror reflection can facilitate motor learning. In this study, bimanual movement using mirror training was less effective than unilateral training.
Descriptor Terms: BIOENGINEERING, BODY MOVEMENT, LIMBS, MOTOR SKILLS, PHYSICAL THERAPY, STROKE, TASK ANALYSIS.

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Citation: Selles, Ruud W., Michielsen, Marian E., Bussmann, Johannes B. J., Stam, Henk J., Hurkmans, Henri L., Heijnen, Iris, de Groot, Danielle, Ribbers, Gerard M.. (2014). Effects of a mirror-induced visual illusion on a reaching task in stroke patients: Implications for mirror therapy training. Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair, 28(7), Pgs. 652-659. Retrieved 12/9/2014, from REHABDATA database.