Mirror therapy improves the upper limb function of hemiparetic stroke survivors: A meta-analysis

Abstract

Listen

Translate article

Objective To evaluate systematically the efficacy of mirror therapy for improving the upper limb function, daily life and pain of stroke survivors. Methods The PubMed, EBSCO, Web of Science, Ovid, Cochrane Library, Open Gray, China Biological Medicine, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, GoogleScholar, VIP and Wan Fang Data databases were searched for reports of randomized and controlled trials (RCTs) of mirror therapy for improving the upper limb function of stroke survivors. Only papers published before December 2015 were surveyed. The relevant references of the primary studies were also searched. The literature screening, data extraction and assessments were conducted by two reviewers independently. The meta-analysis was performed using version 5.2 of the RevMan software. Results A total of 22 RCTs involving 823 patients were discovered, some not dealing with mirror therapy. Comparing the studies with and without visual feedback, there were significant differences in upper limb motor function as measured by the Fugl-Meyer, ARAT and Brunnstrom instruments. The average Barthel indexes and visual analogue scale were also significantly different. Conclusion Mirror therapy can improve upper limb function and ability in the activities of daily living, and also relieve pain among stroke survivors to some degree, though its long-term efficacy is still unclear. Large-sample, multi-center, high-quality RCTs are required to verify these conclusions. Key words: Mirror therapy; Stroke; Upper limb function; Meta-analyses