Comparison of Embedded and Added Motor Imagery Training in Patients After Stroke

Phase 2

Completed

• Conditions: Stroke
• Interventions: Other: Motor imagery (MI) training; Other: Control intervention

• Registration Number: NCT00858910
• Lead Sponsor: Reha Rheinfelden

Brief Summary

The purpose of the study is to examine if patients in the embedded motor imagery (MI) training group (EG1) need less time to perform the motor task than patients in the added MI training group (EG2).

Detailed Description

The purpose of the study is to examine if patients in the embedded MI training into physiotherapy (EG1) need less time to perform the motor task than patients in the added MI training to physiotherapy (EG2).

A third groups serves a control group (CG) to investigate the effect of the intervention versus a group with a control intervention.

Additionally, semi-structured interviews before and after the intervention will give an insight in the patient's experience with motor imagery (MI), their expectations regarding the intervention and their opinions about MI after the intervention.

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2009-03
• Study First Submitted: 2009-03-09
• Study First Submitted QC: 2009-03-09
• Study First Posted: 2009-03-10
• Primary Completion: 2010-05
• Study Completion: 2010-05
• Status Verified: 2010-07
• Last Update Submitted: 2013-10-24
• Last Update Posted: 2013-10-25

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 90

Inclusion Criteria

• Patients after a first-ever ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke
• Outpatients or leaving inpatients 3 months after stroke
• Ability to stand with or without a cane for at least 30 sec on a normal hard floor
• Ability to walk for 20 metres with or without a cane or an orthosis
• MMSE with at least 20 points
• Age older than 18 years
• Signed written informed consent

Exclusion Criteria

• Joint replacements (knee, hip, shoulder)
• Limiting pain in the upper or lower body
• Limiting range of motion (ROM) in the hip, knee, ankle joint or toes
• Body weight more than 90 kilograms
• Compromised mental capacity to give written informed consent

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
EG2: added MI	Motor imagery (MI) training	Experimental group 2: Participants receive a 15 minutes motor imagery (MI) training added to a 30 min physiotherapy session, 3 times a week for two weeks.
EG1: embedded MI	Motor imagery (MI) training	Experimental group 1: Participants receive motor imagery (MI) training included in 45min physiotherapy, 3 times per week for 2 weeks.
CG	Control intervention	Control group: Participants receive a 15 min control intervention added to their 30 min physiotherapy session, 3 times a week for two weeks.

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Time in seconds to perform a motor task: "Going down, laying on the floor and getting up again."	2 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Motor imagery ability measured with the kinesthetic and visual motor imagery questionnaire (KVIQ) and the 'Imaprax 1.1' software.	2 weeks
Further outcome measures: - Help needed to perform the task, scored on a 7-item scale (1 total help, 7 completely independent) - Stage of motor task (one out of 13 possible stages)	2 weeks
Balance measured with the Berg Balance Scale (BBS).	2 weeks
Motor impairment and independence measured with the extended Barthel index (EBI).	2 weeks
Fear of falling (FOF) is measured with the Activities-Specific Balance Confidence Scale (ABC-scale).	2 weeks

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Rehabilitation centre: Reha Rheinfelden; 🇨🇭 Rheinfelden, AG, Switzerland