Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2024 Feb 29;12(5):569.
doi: 10.3390/healthcare12050569.

Efficacy of a Rehabilitation Program Using Mirror Therapy and Cognitive Therapeutic Exercise on Upper Limb Functionality in Patients with Acute Stroke

Jessica Fernández-Solana  1 , Sergio Álvarez-Pardo  2 , Adrián Moreno-Villanueva  2   3 , Mirian Santamaría-Peláez  1 , Jerónimo J González-Bernal  1 , Rodrigo Vélez-Santamaría  1 , Josefa González-Santos  1
Affiliations

Efficacy of a Rehabilitation Program Using Mirror Therapy and Cognitive Therapeutic Exercise on Upper Limb Functionality in Patients with Acute Stroke

Jessica Fernández-Solana et al. Healthcare (Basel). .

Abstract

Applying evidence-based therapies in stroke rehabilitation plays a crucial role in this process, as they are supported by studies and results that demonstrate their effectiveness in improving functionality, such as mirror therapy (MT), cognitive therapeutic exercise (CTE), and task-oriented training. The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of MT and CTE combined with task-oriented training on the functionality, sensitivity, range, and pain of the affected upper limb in patients with acute stroke. A longitudinal multicenter study recruited a sample of 120 patients with acute stroke randomly and consecutively, meeting specific inclusion and exclusion criteria. They were randomly allocated into three groups: a control group only for task-oriented training (TOT) and two groups undergoing either MT or CTE, both combined with TOT. The overall functionality of the affected upper limb, specific functionality, sensitivity, range of motion, and pain were assessed using the Fugl-Meyer Assessment Upper Extremity (FMA-UE) scale validated for the Spanish population. An initial assessment was conducted before the intervention, a second assessment after completing the 20 sessions, and another three months later. ANCOVA analysis revealed statistically significant differences between the assessments and the experimental groups compared to the control group, indicating significant improvement in the overall functionality of the upper limb in these patients. However, no significant differences were observed between the two experimental groups. The conclusion drawn was that both therapeutic techniques are equally effective in treating functionality, sensitivity, range of motion, and pain in the upper limb following a stroke.

Keywords: acute stroke; cognitive therapeutic exercise; functionality; mirror therapy; non-pharmacological therapy; task-oriented training; upper limb.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Flowchart.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Example of patient positioning for MT.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Raw scores for the CG, CTE, MT groups in the three evaluations.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Simats A., Liesz A. Systemic inflammation after stroke: Implications for post-stroke comorbidities. EMBO Mol. Med. 2022;14:e16269. doi: 10.15252/emmm.202216269. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. González-Santos J., Rodríguez-Fernández P., Pardo-Hernández R., González-Bernal J.J., Fernández-Solana J., Santamaría-Peláez M. A Cross-Sectional Study: Determining Factors of Functional Independence and Quality of Life of Patients One Month after Having Suffered a Stroke. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health. 2023;20:995. doi: 10.3390/ijerph20020995. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Potter T.B.H., Tannous J., Vahidy F.S. A Contemporary Review of Epidemiology, Risk Factors, Etiology, and Outcomes of Premature Stroke. Curr. Atheroscler. Rep. 2022;24:939–948. doi: 10.1007/s11883-022-01067-x. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Neil H.P. Stroke Rehabilitation. Crit. Care Nurs. Clin. N. Am. 2023;35:95–99. doi: 10.1016/j.cnc.2022.11.002. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Feigin V.L., Stark B.A., Johnson C.O., Roth G.A., Bisignano C., Abady G.G., Abbasifard M., Abbasi-Kangevari M., Abd-Allah F., Abedi V., et al. Global, regional, and national burden of stroke and its risk factors, 1990–2019: A systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019. Lancet. Neurol. 2021;20:795–820. doi: 10.1016/S1474-4422(21)00252-0. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources