Kinesiotaping and Constraint Induced Movement Therapy in Subacute Stroke
Condition: Stroke
MeSH terms: Stroke
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      In stroke patients, the most common neurological deficits were motor impairment, loss of
      somatosensation, abnormal muscle tone, and impaired fractionated movement at affected limbs.
      Therefore, the investigators try to facilitate upper extremity function and normalize the
      muscle tone to enlarge their capacity to perform daily activities and to improve life quality
      by modified constraint-induced movement therapy (mCIMT) and Kinesiotaping (KT).

      The investigators will collect 90 subacute stroke patients with hemiplegia in this study.
      These 90 patients will be randomly divided into 3 groups. In KT group (n=30), the patients
      will perform Kinesiology taping for 5 days per week for 3 weeks. In mCIMT group (n=30), the
      patient will receive constraint the unaffected limb for 2 hours a day, 5 days a week for
      three weeks. In KT+mCIMT group, the KT and mCIMT interventions would be performed for 5 days
      a week in three weeks. All the patients in KT, CIMT and KT+mCIMT groups will receive
      20-minute hand function training twice daily for 5 days per week for 3 weeks. Before
      intervention, immediately and 3 week later after intervention, all patients will receive the
      physical examinations including motor recovery stage (Brunnstrom stage), spasticity (modified
      Ashworth scale and Tardieu scale), and sensation. Fugl-Meyer assessment for upper extremity
      (FMA-UE), box and block test, Simple Test for Evaluating Hand Function (STEF), and Wolf Motor
      Function Test for hand function, ADL and quality of life assessment and musculoskeletal
      sonography for affected forearms will be also evaluated in this study.

      The aims of this study are:

        1. To investigate the effect of Kinesiotaping and modified CIMT in improving upper
           extremity function and spasticity for subacute stroke patients with hemiplegia.

        2. To explore the role of sonoelastography and shear wave velocity in poststroke spasticity
           assessment.
    


Intervention name(s): Kinesiotaping; modified Constraint Induced Movement Training; Sham taping
Intervention type(s): Device; Behavioral; Device
Intervention description(s): Kinesio tape would be applied over the extensor muscles of the affected hand for facilitating the extension of hand. We will apply the tape from the upper 1/3 length of dorsal side of the forearm and split the tape into five equal bars to the distal interphalangeal joint of each finger along the finger bones. This intervention would be executed for five days per week for three weeks.; A 2-hour time period would be arranged to constraint patient's unaffected hand by using a bandage by a therapist. During this two hours, patients would not be allowed to use this unaffected to do any activity, so that they will need to use the affected hand. The caregivers would also be educated to provide less help if it is not necessary. This intervention would be executed two hours a day for five days per week, for three weeks.; A short piece of kinesio tape would be cut into half and applied over the lateral side of the forearm from the lateral epicondyle till the half of the forearm. The tape would not cover the both the flexor and extensor muscle bellies.
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Quadruple (Participant, Care Provider, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)
Primary purpose: Treatment
Keywords: stroke; Kinesiotaping; constraint induced movement therapy; sonography