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EFFECT OF ACTION OBSERVATION THERAPY ON IMPROVING UPPER LIMB FUNCTIONS IN ACUTE STROKE PATIENTS: AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY

BACKGROUND & PURPOSE: The most common disabling motor decit following stroke is the loss of upper limb function. 5-20% of patients
presenting an upper limb paralysis at onset may improve the motor impairment overtime. Action observation training is a novel rehabilitation
approach exploiting this mirror mechanism and its potential role in motor learning for motor recovery. Aim of this study was to examine the effects
of action observation therapy on upper limb functions in acute stroke patients.
METHODOLOGY: Stroke survivors (N= 50) were consecutively recruited 22 days (±5) after a rst-ever stroke and participants watched video
footage of daily routine tasks (actions). Each action based on some relevant ADLs motor sequence display in order of ascending difculty and
lasting for 3 minutes and therapist prompted the patient to perform the same movement for 2 minutes. At the end of each sequence, patients were
given conventional physiotherapy and AOT 1 hour daily for 5 days/week for 4 weeks.
RESULTS: Upper Limb part of FMA, Modied Ashworth Scale scores & nine-hole peg test were taken at baseline and after 4 weeks as outcome
measure. Paired 't' test and Wilcoxon's signed-rank has been used for analysis of Fugl Meyer scale, Modied Ashwarth Scale and Nine-hole peg pre
and post treatment scores respectively (p value<0.05) So, a statistically signicant difference was found after treatment for all variables.
CONCLUSION: The nding of this study is suggesting that Action observation training programs contribute to improve motor recovery in acute
stroke patients.