Activity-based Mirror Therapy for Lower Limb Motor Recovery, Balance, Gait, and Mobility in Acute Inpatient Stroke: A Feasibility Study

Launched by GLASGOW CALEDONIAN UNIVERSITY · Mar 18, 2025

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is exploring a new therapy called activity-based mirror therapy to help people recover after having a stroke. The study focuses on individuals who have experienced a stroke in the last 30 days and are currently in the hospital. Participants will take part in 15-minute sessions of mirror therapy three times a week for two weeks, while also receiving their usual physical therapy. The aim is to see how this therapy affects their ability to move, balance, and walk. After the therapy, participants will share their experiences through a short questionnaire and interview.

To be eligible for the study, participants must be at least 18 years old, have had a stroke confirmed by medical imaging, and be stable enough for rehabilitation. They should also have some movement ability in their legs and be able to communicate effectively. The study will not include individuals with severe visual impairments, those who cannot understand instructions, or anyone with certain medical conditions that could hinder participation. This trial is an important first step to understand if mirror therapy can be beneficial for stroke recovery, and it aims to gather valuable feedback from both participants and therapists involved in the study.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • Adults aged 18 years or older
• • Diagnosis of hemorrhagic or ischemic stroke by head computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
• • Medically stable to participate in physical rehabilitation as determined by the medical staff at QEUHSRU providing approval to begin physiotherapy
• • Between 72 hours and 30 days post stroke at the time of baseline assessment
• • Hemiparesis or hemiplegia of lower limb
• • Ability to maintain sitting balance in a chair with arm rests, a back, and optional side support while moving the lower limb
• • Ability to ambulate with or without a walking aide prior to stroke
• • No cognitive impairment that affects the ability to interact with the intervention or provide informed consent, as determined by the potential participant's medical team. To further ensure participants remain cognitively capable throughout the study, participants will be asked to briefly explain the study before providing consent and before each mirror therapy session
• • No severe aphasia that would impair the participants ability to understand the instructions of the intervention or prevent them from providing continuous verbal feedback throughout the intervention. This will be determined by the potential participant's care team. To further ensure potential participants are not aphasic they will be asked to briefly being able to explain the study back to the research team prior to providing written consent and before each mirror therapy session
• • No severe uncorrected visual impairments that would prevent viewing the image in the mirror
• • No severe cardiopulmonary or musculoskeletal impairments that inhibit seated exercises of the non-paretic limb
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • Individuals with any type of lower limb amputation of either side of the body
• • Individuals who have been identified as having incapacity by their medical team, as aligned with the Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Act 2000
• • Non-English Speakers
• • Individuals who's care teams identified them as being distressed during their routine assessments/sessions