Article

People with stroke excessively move their trunk, when reaching and
grasping objects. OBJECTIVE: To determine if the addition of trunk restraint to
modified constraint-induced movement therapy (mCIMT) was better than mCIMT alone
in improving strength, function, and quality of life after stroke. METHODS: A
pilot randomized double-blinded clinical trial was conducted. Twenty-two
participants with chronic stroke were randomly assigned to an experimental group
that received mCIMT plus trunk restraint, or a control group (only mCIMT).
Primary outcomes were the amount of use and quality of movement of the paretic
upper limb (UL), determined by the Motor Activity Log (MAL) scores. Secondary
outcomes included the observed performance of the paretic UL during unimanual and
bimanual tasks, kinematics of reaching, strength, and quality of life. RESULTS:
Both groups demonstrated significant improvements in the MAL scores and in the
time to perform bimanual activities immediately after the interventions. However,
no between-group differences were observed. CONCLUSIONS: The addition of trunk
restraint to mCIMT resulted in no additional benefits, compared with mCIMT alone
with stroke individuals with mild to moderate impairments. Unimanual and bimanual
improvements were observed after mCIMT, regardless of trunk restraint, and the
intervention did not adversely affect their reaching patterns.

Langue : ANGLAIS