The Application of a Mental Practice Protocol in the Acute Inpatient Rehabilitation Setting

Adventist HealthCare

Status: Completed

Conditions: Upper Extremity Paresis; Stroke

Treatments: Other: Traditional Therapy; Other: Repetitive-Task Practice; Other: Mental Practice

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT04927728

AdventistHC

Details and patient eligibility

About

The purpose of this randomized controlled trial is to compare the effect of audio-guided mental practice (MP) and video-guided MP on the impairment and functional abilities of upper extremity (UE) hemiparesis following a stroke. Participants are recruited from Adventist Healthcare Rehabilitation Hospital. All participants must be less than one-month post-stroke with moderate UE hemiparesis. Eligible participants are randomly assigned to an experimental group, (MP or repetitive-task practice (RTP)), or the control group.

The MP groups will perform either audio-guided MP or video-guided MP, five days a week, with 20 repetitions of the following tasks: wiping a table, picking up a cup, brushing hair, and turning the pages of a book. The RTP group physically performed the same tasks. The control group received traditional stroke rehabilitation.

The investigators hypothesize that video MP will have greater improvements in UE impairments and functional abilities than audio MP, RTP, and/or traditional therapy.

Enrollment: 18 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 80 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Primary diagnosis of stroke
• Less than one-month post-stroke
• Hemiparesis of one upper extremity
• Moderate upper extremity impairment

Exclusion criteria

• History of prior stroke
• Comorbidities (severe neurological, orthopedic, rheumatoid, or cardiac impairments)
• Severe spasticity
• Severe cognitive impairments
• Inability to perform mental imagery
• Severe aphasia based on speech therapist evaluation
• Low English proficiency
• Severe pain

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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18 participants in 4 patient groups

Audio MP

Experimental group

Description:

Participants of the audio mental practice (MP) group will complete MP via audio-guided multisensory cues of one of four tasks: (1) wiping a table (2) picking up a cup (3) brushing hair and/or (4) turning the page of a book. The assigned motor task is based upon the functional abilities of the patient. MP will be performed followed by physical practice of the same task with a research therapist 3x/week and independent MP 2 days/week. Each audio recording consists of 20 repetitions of the task.

Treatment:

Other: Mental Practice

Video MP

Experimental group

Description:

Participants of the video mental practice (MP) group will complete MP via video-guided multisensory cues of one of four tasks: (1) wiping a table (2) picking up a cup (3) brushing hair and/or (4) turning the page of a book. The assigned motor task is based upon the functional abilities of the patient. MP will be performed followed by physical practice of the same task with a research therapist 3x/week and independent MP 2 days/week. Each audio recording consists of 20 repetitions of the task.

Treatment:

Other: Mental Practice

Repetitive-Task Practice

Experimental group

Description:

Participants of the repetitive-task practice group will complete repetitive practice of one of four tasks: (1) wiping a table (2) picking up a cup (3) brushing hair and/or (4) turning the page of a book. The assigned motor task is based upon the functional abilities of the patient. MP will be performed followed by physical practice of the same task with a research therapist 3x/week and independent MP 2 days/week. Each participant completed at least 20 repetitions of the task.

Treatment:

Other: Repetitive-Task Practice

Traditional Therapy

Active Comparator group

Description:

The control group received traditional occupational therapy stroke rehabilitation.

Treatment:

Other: Traditional Therapy