Abstract
This pilot study aimed to investigate the effects of task-oriented training on upper-limb functioning, visual perception, and activities of daily living (ADL) in acute stroke patients. Of 20 participants, 10 were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to experimental and control groups. Task-oriented training and table-top activity training were implemented for 6 weeks. Change in upper-limb functioning was assessed with the Manual Function Test (MFT); visual perceptual skill and ADL performance were evaluated using the Motor-Free Visual Perception Test—Vertical (MVPT-V) and Korean Modified Barthel Index (K-MBI), respectively. There was a significant interaction in the MFT and MBI score between the group and time (p < 0.05), but the group effect was not significant (p > 0.05). The MFT and MBI score significantly increased in both groups after the intervention (p < 0.001), but the effect size was greater in the task-oriented training group than the table-top activity training group. No significant interaction with MVPT-V score was found between the group and time (p > 0.05), and no statistical group difference was found either (p > 0.05). Both groups showed significant improvement in their MVPT-V score after the intervention (p < 0.001). The pilot study findings demonstrate that both task-oriented training and table-top activity training are effective in recovering upper-limb function, visual perception, and ADL in acute stroke patients.
Highlights
In 2018, stroke was the fourth leading cause of death in Korea [1], and the annual incidence shows an increasing trend [2]
The Korean Modified Barthel Index (K-MBI) test used to evaluate activities of daily living (ADL) performance showed that the score significantly improved in both groups, but no significant group effect was found
The study findings are not in line with previous study findings that ADL performance significantly improved in task-oriented training groups compared to the groups that received occupational therapy intervention or action observation therapy intervention [53–55]
Summary
In 2018, stroke was the fourth leading cause of death in Korea [1], and the annual incidence shows an increasing trend [2]. Stroke refers to a neurological disorder caused by cerebrovascular injury [3]. It is defined as a sudden brain attack that causes partial or complete brain dysfunction due to the brain’s blocked or ruptured blood vessels [4]. The primary symptom of a stroke is hemiparesis. Stroke adversely affects sensations, motor function, perception, cognition, and language, depending on the location, etiology, and infarct volume. A study reported that 85% of stroke patients had hemiparesis, and more than 69% showed upper-limb dysfunction [5]
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