Abstract:

Objective To investigate the effect of motor imagery therapy on walking ability in patients with stroke and hemiplegia. Methods Thirty-six patients with stroke and hemiplegia were divided into group A and group B based on the odd or even admission number, with 19 patients in each group. From the first to the third week, patients in group A were treated with conventional rehabilitation therapy combined with motor imaginary therapy, and those in group B only received conventional rehabilitation therapy. During the fourth and fifth week (washout period), both patients in group A and group B did not receive formal conventional rehabilitation therapy and motor imaginary therapy. In the sixth to eighth week, patients in group B received conventional rehabilitation therapy combined with motor imaginary therapy, and those in group A only received conventional rehabilitation therapy. The walking ability of patients in two groups was assessed with lower extremity Fugl-Meyer motor assessment(FMA), functional ambulation category (FAC) and Tinetti gait assessment (TGA) scales before treatment, and at the end of the third week, fifth week and eighth week. Results There was no significant difference in FMA, FAC and TGA scores between two groups before treatment (P>0.05). The scores of each scale at the end of the third week, fifth week and eighth week were significantly higher than those before treatment in two groups (P<0.01). At the end of the third week, the score of each scale in group A was significantly higher than that in group B (P<0.01). At the end of the eighth week, the score of each scale in group B was significantly higher than that in group A (P<0.01). Conclusion On the basis of conventional rehabilitation therapy, motor imagery therapy can further improve the walking ability in patients with stroke and hemiplegia and enhance the efficacy of rehabilitation training.

Key words: motor imaginary therapy, stroke, hemiplegia, dysbasia, rehabilitation training