Action observation therapy can improve upper extremity motor function after stroke
10.3760/cma.j.issn.0254-1424.2017.03.006
- VernacularTitle:动作观察疗法对缺血性脑卒中患者上肢运动功能恢复的影响
- Author:
Fang SHEN
;
Hu LIU
;
Xudong GU
;
Ming ZENG
;
Jianming FU
;
Jing WANG
;
Yao CUI
;
Meihong ZHU
- Keywords:
Action observation;
Ischemic stroke;
Mirror neurons;
Upper extremity function;
Rehabilitation;
Functional magnetic resonance imaging
- From:
Chinese Journal of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
2017;39(3):184-188
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
Objective To explore the effects of action observation therapy on upper-extremity motor function after ischemic stroke and on the motor cortex using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).Methods Forty patients with ischemic stroke were randomly assigned to an observational group (n =20) or a control group (n =20).Both groups received conventional rehabilitation,while the observational group was additionally provided with action observation therapy for 8 weeks.Both groups were assessed using the Fugl-Meyer assessment (FMA) and the Barthel index (BI) before and after the 8 weeks of treatment and functional magnetic resonance imaging was performed before treatment.Two months after the treatment,nine patients of the experimental group and 8 of the control group who continued to receive their respective treatments after discharge were again assessed using functional magnetic resonance imaging.Results After the treatment the average FMA score and BI score of both the observational group and the control group had increased significantly.The increase in the average FMA score of the observational group was significantly greater than that of the control group.However,there was no significant difference between the two groups in the increases in BI score after 8 weeks of treatment.The fMRI results showed that there was a significantly greater rise in activity in the bilateral precentral gyrus,parietal lobe and the supplementary motor area of the patients in the observational group after the treatment compared with the control group.Conclusion Action observation therapy can improve upper extremity motor function and performance in the activities of daily living after ischemic stroke and induce changes in the excitability of the cerebral motor cortex.
