Abstract
[Purpose] In this study, we investigated the motor imagery ability of hemiplegic stroke patients. [Subjects] The subjects were 29 healthy individuals (average age, 63.5 ± 11.7), and 31 hemiplegic stroke patients (average age, 64.5 ± 9.5). [Method] Motor imagery was evaluated using the reaction time of mental rotation in response to photographs of a rotated hand.[Results] The reaction time was delayed in stroke patients compared to healthy individuals, and post-stroke mental rotation was better when viewing photographs of the unaffected than of the affected side. Impaired attention is associated with mental rotation ability; in contrast, motor function, deep sensory factor, lapsed days from onset and the brain damaged side were less associated with rotation ability in stroke patients. [Conclusion] Therapeutic intervention using motor imagery is expected to have a high therapeutic effect because of its affect on impaired attention.
