The effect of action observation combined with occupational therapy on the upper limb function and ability in the activities of daily living of stroke survivors / 中华物理医学与康复杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To observe the effect of action observation combined with occupational therapy on the upper limb function and ability in the activities of daily living after a stroke. Methods Forty-two stroke survivors were randomly divided into a treatment group and a control group, each of 21. Both groups were given conventional rehabilita-tion training and conventional occupational therapy. The treatment group additionally performed action observation. The Fugl-Meyer assessment ( FMA-UE ) , a Hong Kong version of the functional test for the hemiplegic upper extremity ( FTHUE-HK) and the Modified Barthel index ( MBI) were used for assessment before and after 8 weeks of treatment. Results Before the treatment there were no significant differences between the two groups. Afterward, significant im-provement was observed in all of the measurements in both groups. Compared with the control group, the treatment group showed more significant improvement in its average FMA-UE, FTHUE-HK and MBI scores. Conclusion Action observation can improve the effects of rehabilitation and occupational therapy after stroke.