Effect of Home-Based Task-Based Mirror Therapy on Upper Extremity Function in Stroke Patients: A Four-Week Intervention Study

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the effect of task-based mirror therapy on upper extremity function, and daily living activities in individuals with stroke, after four weeks of training. Material and Methods: Participants were randomized into two groups, the task-based mirror therapy group and the task training as the control group: as 10 and 7 participants, respectively. The Action Research Arm Test (ARAT), the Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA), the Sirindhorn National Medical Rehabilitation Center Functional Assessment (SNMRC) and the Short-Form 36 (SF-36) were assessed before and after training, over a four week period. Results: The results showed that the home-based programs of both the task-based mirror therapy and the control group improved on all variables, but without statistical significance between groups. However, within group analysis, the task-based mirror therapy group exhibited significant differences between pre- and post-assessments for FMA; whereas, the control group did not. Conclusion: The home-based program of task-based mirror therapy, as a task-specific training approach, has demonstrated the potential to enhance the recovery of upper limb motor function after a four-week training period.