ABSTRACT

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of task-based mirror therapy to improve upper extremity motor function and use in daily living for patients with stroke. Methods: The subjects were 18 patients who were diagnosed with hemiplegic stroke. They were randomly assigned to experimental( n =8) and control groups( n =10). All patients received general rehabilitation intervention during the experimental period and task-based mirror therapy was provided only to experimental groups. Task-based mirror therapy was composed of 20 sessions, 30 minutes per session, 5 times a week, for 4 weeks. For result analysis, descriptive statistics, Fisher's exact test, Wilcoxon signed rank test, and Mann-Whitney U test were used. Results: After intervention, the score of Fugl-Meyer Assessment(FMA), Action Research Arm Test(ARAT), Motor Activity Log(MAL), and the dexterity and coordination of elbow joint movement for patients in the experimental group significantly improved. Although the control group who received general rehabilitation treatment promoted ARAT and MAL scores, their scores were significantly less than those of the experimental group, and FMA score and quality of movement were not statistically promoted. In between-group comparison, FMA, ARAT, MAL, and the dexterity and coordination of elbow joint were significantly different. Conclusion: Based on these results, it is reasonable to conclude that task-based mirror therapy is an effective intervention method to improve upper extremity motor function and to facilitate upper extremity use in daily living.