Comparison of Embedded and Added Motor Imagery Training in Patients After Stroke

Reha Rheinfelden

Status and phase: Completed; Phase 2

Conditions: Stroke

Treatments: Other: Motor imagery (MI) training; Other: Control intervention

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT00858910

2008/077

Details and patient eligibility

About

The purpose of the study is to examine if patients in the embedded motor imagery (MI) training group (EG1) need less time to perform the motor task than patients in the added MI training group (EG2).

Full description

The purpose of the study is to examine if patients in the embedded MI training into physiotherapy (EG1) need less time to perform the motor task than patients in the added MI training to physiotherapy (EG2).

A third groups serves a control group (CG) to investigate the effect of the intervention versus a group with a control intervention.

Additionally, semi-structured interviews before and after the intervention will give an insight in the patient's experience with motor imagery (MI), their expectations regarding the intervention and their opinions about MI after the intervention.

Enrollment: 90 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Patients after a first-ever ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke
• Outpatients or leaving inpatients 3 months after stroke
• Ability to stand with or without a cane for at least 30 sec on a normal hard floor
• Ability to walk for 20 metres with or without a cane or an orthosis
• MMSE with at least 20 points
• Age older than 18 years
• Signed written informed consent

Exclusion criteria

• Joint replacements (knee, hip, shoulder)
• Limiting pain in the upper or lower body
• Limiting range of motion (ROM) in the hip, knee, ankle joint or toes
• Body weight more than 90 kilograms
• Compromised mental capacity to give written informed consent

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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90 participants in 3 patient groups, including a placebo group

EG1: embedded MI

Experimental group

Description:

Experimental group 1: Participants receive motor imagery (MI) training included in 45min physiotherapy, 3 times per week for 2 weeks.

Treatment:

Other: Motor imagery (MI) training

EG2: added MI

Experimental group

Description:

Experimental group 2: Participants receive a 15 minutes motor imagery (MI) training added to a 30 min physiotherapy session, 3 times a week for two weeks.

Treatment:

Other: Motor imagery (MI) training

CG

Placebo Comparator group

Description:

Control group: Participants receive a 15 min control intervention added to their 30 min physiotherapy session, 3 times a week for two weeks.

Treatment:

Other: Control intervention