Mirror Box Therapy
Mirror box therapy with Stroke: a cross-border Randomised Controlled Trial to evaluate the effectiveness of mirror box therapy in upper limb rehabilitation with sub-acute Stroke patients (Host Organisation – UU)
Stroke can result in the loss of movement to one side of the body. This can make everyday tasks such as washing, dressing, eating, walking and household activities more difficult. To help regain movement, the brain needs to relearn how to move the arm and leg.
This health research will investigate if using Mirror Box Therapy (MBT) will enable recovery of the affected arm alongside existing occupational therapy input.
Seeing a mirror image of the arm moving is thought to trick the brain into thinking it is the affected arm that is moving, which in turn can stimulate actual movement in the arm and hand.
This research will use MBT with 180 people in hospital who have had a Stroke within the past three months. Half of the people who have had a Stroke will use the mirror box alongside their standard rehabilitation Occupational Therapy (OT), and half will receive standard rehabilitation OT.
Everyone who takes part will be assessed every two weeks when they are in hospital, and 12 weeks after they get home to measure the movement in their arm.
Lead Contact:
Dr Alison Porter-Armstrong, Ulster University