Comparing the effectiveness of bimanual and unimanual mirror therapy in unilateral neglect after stroke: A pilot study

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Unilateral neglect in stroke patients is a major obstacle to rehabilitation, which is a great challenge for therapists. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of bimanual mirror therapy (BMT) and unimanual mirror therapy (UMT), the two protocols of mirror therapy, for the reduction of the symptoms of unilateral neglect in stroke patients. METHODS: Twenty-eight individuals were randomly assigned to the BMT or UMT groups. Both groups received mirror therapy for 30 minutes per day, 5 days a week, for a period of 4 weeks. The Star Cancelation Test (SCT), Line Bisection Test (LBT), Picture Scanning Test (PST), and Korean Catherine Bergego Scale (K-CBS) were used to measure the change in unilateral neglect, and the Korean version of the Modified Barthel Index (K-MBI) was used to evaluate activities of daily living (ADL). RESULTS: The results of SCT, LBT, PST, and K-CBS showed significant decreases in unilateral neglect in both groups (p < 0.05). K-MBI improved significantly in both groups (p < 0.05). There were significant differences between the two groups in the unilateral neglect tests (p < 0.05), but no significant difference in ADL evaluation (p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Mirror therapy protocols can be applied to treat unilateral neglect in stroke patients. However, BMT may be more beneficial for reducing the symptoms of unilateral neglect.