Original articleHome-Based Motor Imagery Training for Gait Rehabilitation of People With Chronic Poststroke Hemiparesis
Section snippets
Participants
Participants (N=17) with hemiparesis were recruited from a community support group of people who suffered a stroke. They volunteered to take part in the study and met the following inclusion criteria: (1) had a unilateral stroke that occurred at least 3 months before joining the study, (2) were able to walk a total of 6m with or without a cane, (3) were able to maintain proper communication skills as determined by free conversation with each volunteer and by reports of relatives, and (4) did
Results
Because none of the participants dropped out from the study, the results are based on all 17 admitted patients. No significant differences were found between the 2 baseline assessments for any of the measured variables. Therefore, the mean of the values from the first and second assessments was calculated for each variable to determine the baseline average. For overall ANOVA of the effect of time on the spatiotemporal parameter, see appendix 3.
Discussion
The main purpose of this study was to determine the feasibility and efficacy of using home-based motor imagery training to improve the walking performance of people with chronic poststroke hemiparesis. All participants completed training with excellent adherence to the program. Thus, there were no dropouts, and, for the entire program, only 2 sessions were cancelled and rescheduled. The kinematic and clinical test findings provide preliminary support for the efficacy of this treatment mode for
Conclusions
In future controlled studies, the effects of imagery training should be contrasted with no intervention as well as with the effects of other interventions; one intriguing question that should be resolved through a controlled study is the effect of verbal descriptions or performance instructions on the subsequent execution of a motor task in comparison to the effect of motor imagery on performance of that same task. The possibility that some of the improvements are because of participants
Acknowledgments
We thank Claudet Ariav, PT, and the Neeman Association for Stroke Survivors.
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Supported by Kort (grant no. 1165-8711).
No commercial party having a direct financial interest in the results of the research supporting this article has or will confer a benefit on the authors or on any organization with which the authors are associated.