To Compare Mental Practice with Motor Imagery and Mirror Therapy on Hand Function in Stroke Patients

Abstract

Background & Objective: To compare mental practice with motor imagery and mirror therapy on hand function in stroke patients. Method: 24 patients of stroke of different age and gender were recruited and subjects who met the inclusion criteria were randomly allocated into 2 groups: Group A- patients undergone Motor Imagery& Group B- patients undergone Mirror Therapy. Pre-and post assessment of hand function assessed using fuglmeyer scale and Action Research Arm Test (ARAT).Patients diagnosed with CVA, age between 41-65 years, medically stable after acute CVA, both male and female were included. Patients with upper limb amputation, upper limb fracture, with artificial joints, having severe cognitive impairments, brain injury and surgery, diagnosed with any other neurological disorders were excluded. Result: In Group-A (Motor Imagery) and Group-B (Mirror Therapy), all data was expressed as mean ±, SD and was statistically analyzed using paired ‘t’ test and independent ‘t’ test to determine the statistical difference among the parameters at 0.5% level of significance. Statistical data of FMA and ARAT of both the groups values showing that, Group-A & Group-B both are effective with p<0.05; i.e. 95% of significance. Conclusion: This study concluded that Mirror Therapy is more effective in improving hand function in stroke patients than Motor Imagery.