ABSTRACT

Objective : The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a 4-week mirror therapy on the hand function recovery in chronic stroke patients. Methods : This study was conducted on 14 subjects staying in the OO rehabilitation hospital in Geunggido from Jan, 2010 to Feb 28th, 2010. The subjects were randomly selected and divided into experimental (6) and control groups (8). The hand excercise program was provided to subjects of both groups for 30 minutes a session, 5 sessions per week. Visual feedback was provided to the subjects of the experimental group but not to the control group. The Brunnstrom recovery stages and Manual Function Test (MFT) were used to evaluate the hand function recovery pre- and post-experiment. Results : The MFT showed significant differences in the experimental group after intervention. These difference were found in the subjects' shoulder flexions, and in their ability to grasp a ball and carry a cube. Also based on the MFT, the control group showed a significant difference in the ability to pinch a pin. Conclusion : The chronical stroke patients group used in the mirror therapy showed better recovery in hand functionality than the group without undergoing mirror therapy. Therefore, this study demonstrated the clinical effects of mirror therapy on the hand function recovery in chronic stroke patients.