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 rehabilitation 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 improvement 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.