Abstract
Background: Stroke is a leading cause of adult disability. Among the various therapeutic modalities used for improving upper extremity function post stroke, Constraint Induced Movement Therapy (CIMT) is one of the most investigated interventions. Objectives: To review the available literature to find evidence for CIMT intervention in overcoming upper extremity impairment in adult stroke patients. Methods: A literature search was conducted on PubMed, Cochrane, EMBASE, CINAHL, and Google Scholar databases. Free full text articles from 2015 - April 2021 with interventional studies, comparing CIMT with other therapeutic interventions for stroke patients with unilateral upper limb involvement were reviewed Results: Twenty-five articles were reviewed after applying the inclusion exclusion criteria. Sample size in case of interventional studies ranged from 19-159 participants. Fifteen studies (60%) concluded that CIMT is superior to conventional therapy in overcoming non-use of affected upper limb, two articles (8%) concluded CIMT brings about limited improvements functionally. 50% studies denied long term gains or improvements, one article (4%) specifically denying any effects lasting post 6 months, three studies (12%) reported better results when CIMT was used in combination with other therapies, one study (4%) has shown Botox and CIMT combination to be a promising treatment method for improving motor function. Conclusion: We found CIMT a useful therapy in adult stroke patients with more studies showing a significant improvement in early phases of rehabilitation. Even if the articles have denied long-term gains or improvements beyond six months, none have shown deterioration in CIMT group Keywords: Adult stroke, Constraint induced movement therapy (CIMT), systematic review
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