Abstract
Background
Stroke is the second leading cause of death and a leading cause of disability worldwide.
Motor imagery is a technique that can be utilized in the rehabilitation process to
improve the lives of patients with a functional disability acquired by this pathology.
Aim
To evaluate the effects of motor imagery as a complementary intervention for the rehabilitation
of stroke patients.
Methods
We conducted a systematic review in MEDLINE/PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and PEDro
databases. We included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that used motor imagery
as a complementary resource for the rehabilitation of patients affected by stroke,
who had motor function and functional independence as outcomes.
Results
Of the 1,473 studies found, ten RCTs were included. Regarding the interventions, motor
imagery was associated with traditional rehabilitation, virtual reality, physical
practice, structured progressive circuit class therapy, and electromyography. The
upper and lower extremity performance were accessed through the Fugl-Meyer Assessment
(FMA) and gait speed, respectively. Although the practice of motor imagery at least
twice a week during three weeks showed to be effective in improving the motor performance
of post-stroke patients, the studies’ protocols present a high heterogeneity, with
training session times lasting between 30 to 180 minutes and a post-stroke invention
window of one to 12 months.
Conclusions
Motor imagery has been shown to be an efficacious technique in the treatment of post-stroke
patients when used as a complement to traditional rehabilitation techniques. However,
greater standardization of interventions and studies with higher methodological quality
are required to determine further conclusions.
Key Words
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: May 26, 2021
Accepted:
May 1,
2021
Received in revised form:
April 8,
2021
Received:
October 2,
2020
Identification
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jstrokecerebrovasdis.2021.105876
Copyright
© 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
