Clinical trial NCT00355836: Recovery of Hand Function Through Mental Practice.
Official title: Can Motor Imagery Enhance Recovery of Hand Function After Stroke? Evaluation of Motor Imagery Training.
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: NA
Conditions: Stroke
Keywords: Motor Imagery
Stroke
Neuro-rehabilitation
health psychology
neuroscience
randomised controlled trial
Lead sponsor: University of Aberdeen
Sponsor class: OTHER
Collaborators: name: Chief Scientist Office of the Scottish Government
First posted: 2006-07-25
Enrollment: 135
Sex: ALL
Standard ages: CHILD
ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: no
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: FACTORIAL
Primary purpose: TREATMENT

Brief summary: The purpose of this study is to assess the therapeutic benefits of motor imagery training in stroke patients with persistent motor weakness.

Detailed description: Stroke is a common and highly debilitating illness. Many patients (41-45%) experience chronic motor impairments (Dijkerman et al., 1996) and limitations in activities of daily living (Wade \& Langton Hewer, 1987) even after extensive neurological rehabilitation. They often result in long-term dependence at a considerable cost to the carers and the health service. It is therefore crucial to optimise motor recovery after stroke. This study investigates the therapeutic benefits of motor imagery training in stroke patients with a motor weakness.

Evidence for the idea that motor imagery training could enhance the recovery of hand function comes from several separate bases of evidence: the sports literature; neurophysiological evidence; evidence from health psychology research; as well as preliminary findings using motor imagery techniques in stroke patients.

There is evidence to suggest that mental rehearsal of movement can produce effects normally attributed to practising the actual movements. Imagining hand movements could stimulate the redistribution of brain activity, which accompanies recovery of hand function, thus resulting in a reduced motor deficit. Patients are assessed before and after a four-week evaluation period. In this randomised controlled trial 45 patients daily mentally rehearse movements with their affected hand under close supervision. Their recovery is compared to 45 patients who perform closely supervised non-motor mental rehearsal, and 45 patients who are not engaged in a training program.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

Confirmed diagnosis of stroke in the last 1-6 months Persisting upper limb weakness -

Exclusion Criteria:

Alcohol/ Drug abuse Psychiatric history Previous illness that has impacted on individuals Activity of Daily living

- Dementia (assessed by MSQ) Severe Aphasia

Primary outcomes:
measure: Action Research Arm Test (ARAT) (Lyle, 1981)
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Grip strength (dynamometer; Heller et al., 1987),
measure: Nine hole pegboard task (Mathiowetz et al., 1985, Wade [ref]),
measure: Function Limitation Profile
measure: Barthel Index
measure: Recovery Locus of Control
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Aberdeen
country: United Kingdom
facility: University of Aberdeen
city: Dundee
country: United Kingdom
facility: Ninewells Hospital
Study officials:
affiliation: University of Aberdeen
name: Marie Johnston, Prof
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References: