Mirror therapy combined with neuromuscular electrical stimulation or binaural beats stimulation on corticomotor excitability and motor function in stroke patients.

Chun-Liang Tung, Jau-Hong Lin
Purpose:

This study aimed to compare treatment effects among mirror therapy (MT) only, MT combined with neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES), and MT combined with 8 Hz binaural beats stimulation (BBS) on the LE motor recovery.

Methods:

All subjects were randomly assigned into one of three groups (MT only, MT combined with NMES, or MT combined with 8 Hz BBS). In addition to conventional rehabilitation, each subject received an additional treatment protocol with a total of 15 sessions for 3 weeks (5 times per week, 20 minutes daily). All participants were assessed with the outcome measures before and after the 3-week treatment intervention. Outcome measures included the LE subscale of Fugl-Meyer assessment, the Timed Up and Go Test, and the Barthel Index. An 8-channel wearable dry electrode electroencephalography system was used to assess corticomotor excitability.

Results:

Seven participants completed the experiment in preliminary result. Only one participant (No.2) in mirror therapy group showed 12-second improvement in the Time Up and Go test, exceeding the minimal clinically important difference (MCID) of 8 seconds, suggesting a genuine improvement in walking ability. Another participant (No.4) in mirror therapy combined with NMES group showed a 2-point improvement on the Barthel Index, surpassing the MCID of 1.85 points, indicating a genuine improvement in the activity of daily living. The exception of the participant (No.7) in mirror therapy combined with BBS group, other participants showed a significant trend of increased corticomotor excitability in the primary motor cortex of lesioned brain.

Conclusion(s):

The preliminary results did not yet support the mirror therapy combined with BBS program intervention would yield better functional recovery than the other two intervention of individuals with chronic stroke.

Implications:

Further studies are warranted to recruit larger sample size to verify the differences of treatment efficacy.Further studies are warranted to recruit larger sample size to verify the differences of treatment efficacy.

Funding acknowledgements:
This study was supported by the grant from the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC 112-2314-B-037-051-MY3) in Taiwan.
Keywords:
binaural beats stimulation
corticomotor excitability
stroke
Primary topic:
Neurology: stroke
Second topic:
Disability and rehabilitation
Third topic:
Paediatrics: cerebral palsy
Did this work require ethics approval?:
Yes
Name the institution and ethics committee that approved your work:
Kaohsiung Medical University Chung-Ho Momorial Hospital Institutional Review Board
Provide the ethics approval number:
KMUHIRB-F(II)-20220175
Has any of this material been/due to be published or presented at another national or international conference prior to the World Physiotherapy Congress 2025?:
No

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