Task-based mirror therapy for shoulder-hand syndrome after stroke

Effects of Task-based Mirror Therapy on Edema, Pain and Upper Limb Motor Function for Post-stroke Shoulder-hand Syndrome

This trial will try mirror therapy tasks to reduce swelling and pain and improve arm and hand movement in people aged 45–75 with shoulder-hand syndrome after a stroke.

Quick facts

• Phase: NA
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 34 (estimated)
• Ages: 45 Years to 75 Years
• Sex: All
• Sponsor: Riphah International University (other)
• Locations: 2 sites (Lahore, Punjab Province and 1 other locations)
• Trial ID: NCT07428811 on ClinicalTrials.gov

What this trial studies

This randomized interventional trial will enroll 34 participants at two clinics in Lahore and randomly assign them to a task-based mirror therapy group or a control group receiving conventional exercises. Treatments last 30 minutes per day, five days a week, for four weeks, with each movement repeated in sets (20 repetitions per set, three sets) and brief rest intervals. Primary outcomes include pain intensity (Numeric Pain Rating Scale), edema (figure-of-eight method), and upper limb motor function, measured before and after the intervention. The protocol targets subacute stroke patients and uses a convenience sampling method with online randomization to allocate participants.

Who should consider this trial

Good fit: Ideal candidates are people aged 45–75 with subacute stroke (less than 6 months), able to sit, with sufficient cognition (MoCA ≥ 24), moderate spasticity (Modified Ashworth Scale ≤ 2), no severe contractures, and no peripheral nerve or major musculoskeletal disorders.

Not a fit: Patients with severe apraxia, unilateral neglect, global or receptive aphasia, severe contractures, significant comorbidities that prevent participation, or those outside the age or stroke-timing criteria are unlikely to benefit from this protocol.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, the approach could reduce pain and swelling and improve arm and hand function for people recovering from stroke.

How similar studies have performed: Previous mirror therapy studies have shown mixed but promising results for post-stroke motor recovery and pain reduction, while task-based mirror therapy for shoulder-hand syndrome is less extensively studied.

Eligibility criteria

Inclusion Criteria: Age 45 to 75 years.

* Both male and female patients are included in the study.
* Subacute stroke patients having stroke less than 6 months are included in this study.
* Stable participants having a stroke severity score \> 6 on National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS).
* Modified Ashworth scale score ≤ 2 of the affected upper extremity.
* Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) score ≥ 24.
* Patients who can sit with or without support.
* No contractures of the affected shoulder, elbow, wrist and fingers.
* Participants who have no history of peripheral nerve injury or musculoskeletal disease

Exclusion Criteria:

* • Participants who have medical problems or co-morbidities that interdict their participation in the study.

  * Patients with severe apraxia, somatosensory problems.
  * Unilateral neglect
  * Severe contractures of the affected shoulder, elbow, wrist and finger.
  * Participants who show the symptoms of global or receptive aphasia.

Where this trial is running

Lahore, Punjab Province and 1 other locations

• Alara healthcare clinic — Lahore, Punjab Province, Pakistan (RECRUITING)
• Ittefaq Hospital and Trust Lahore — Lahore, Punjab Province, Pakistan (RECRUITING)

Study contacts

• Principal investigator: Binash Afzal, PHD — Riphah International University
• Study coordinator: Maha Sahar, MSPT-NM

Conditions: Stroke, Edema, pain, shoulder hand syndrome, Task based mirror therapy, upper limb motor function