ABSTRACT

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effective intervention methods of upper extremity function changes in gradually decreasing action observation training and existing action observation training. Methods: The study subjects were 14 chronic stroke patients. Seven experimental groups performed gradually decreasing action observation training, and seven control groups performed existing action observation training. The intervention period was conducted for 3 times a week for 4 weeks for all groups. All groups also performed conventional occupational therapy and physical therapy. Wolf Motor Function Test(WMFT), Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand(DASH), and a Box and Block Test(BBT) were used for pre- and post- assessments of the upper extremity motor function. The difference between before and after intervention was determined using a Wilcoxon signed ranks test for each group. A comparison of the post-intervention effects between the two groups was made using the Mann-Whitney U test. Results: There were statistically significant changes in WMFT, DASH, and BBT in both the experimental and control groups (p<.05). The changes in the upper extremity function between the two groups were compared, and the time of the WMFT and DASH scores in the experimental group were larger and statistically significant (p<.05). Conclusion: As a result of the study, gradually decreasing action observation training is considered more efficient than existing action observation training to improve the upper extremity function of chronic stroke patients. Therefore, intervention strategies that take into account the cognitive rate during the intervention of the action observation training are needed, as are subsequent studies with various subjects and functional evaluations needed.