The effects of modified constraint-induced movement therapy on paralyzed hands after stroke

Abstract

CI therapy known for being labor intensive for occupational therapists and has limitations in its implementation. We devised an mCI therapy (combined with voluntary practice and carried out by a pair of people for three hours a day) to reduce the therapy duration. The treatment was performed on 31 convalescent patients within 180 days of onset, and changes were observed before, during, and after 6 months. The average values of STEF, FMA-UE, and MAL-AOU improved significantly both before and after 6 months. MAL-AOU exceeded MCID in the amount of change before and after the implementation, and FMA-UE exceeded MCID after 6 months. mCI therapy has the advantage that the difficulty level of the pair can be adjusted at any time. These results suggest that conducting the test in pairs could lead to conversations between the subjects, which could result in increased motivation and psychological support.