Article

OBJECTIVE: To compare the effects of 4 weeks of intervention using conventional
rehabilitation, intensive conventional rehabilitation and modified
constraint-induced movement therapy on the hemiplegic upper extremity in stroke
patients. METHODS: Thirty stroke patients (mean age: 63.3, standard deviation
9.63 years; mean time since stroke: 11.33, standard deviation 8.29 weeks) were
randomly divided into 3 groups: conventional rehabilitation, intensive
conventional rehabilitation, and modified constraint-induced movement therapy (10
individuals in each). Motor function was assessed using the Wolf Motor Function
Test before treatment, and 2 weeks and 4 weeks after treatment. RESULTS: The
constraint-induced movement therapy and intensive conventional rehabilitation
groups improved their function ability scores in the Wolf Motor Function Test
significantly more than the conventional rehabilitation group after 2 weeks of
treatment (p < 0.05), but all groups reached comparable levels at the end of 4
weeks of intervention. However, only the constraint-induced movement therapy
intervention proved to have robust and systematic effects on the function ability
scores, as revealed by the large, positive and significant correlation between
the initial scores and the scores 2 and 4 weeks after the intervention. The
median performance time of the Wolf Motor Function Test decreased significantly
in all groups after 4 weeks of treatment (p < 0.05), but only the modified
constraint-induced movement therapy group showed significant improvements both 2
and 4 weeks after the initiation of treatment.
CONCLUSION: Compared with
classical intervention, modified constraint-induced movement therapy showed an apparent advantage over both conventional intervention and intensive conventional
rehabilitation for patients after stroke.

Langue : ANGLAIS