Objective: Stroke is one of the leading causes of long-term disability. Motor impairment is the most common clinical sign of stroke that disrupt patients’ daily activities. The purpose of this study is to compare the effect of mirror therapy on the gait of patients with subacute and chronic stroke.
Methods: The is a quasi-experimental study with pre-test/post-test design. Participants were 30 patients with subacute (n=15) and chronic stroke (n=15) referred to Tabassom Clinic in Tehran, Iran. Subjects in both groups participated in the Gait Assessment and Intervention Tool (GAIT) before and after intervention. The interventional program was similar in the two groups and consisting of eight weeks of walking rehabilitation two sessions per week, each for 90 minutes; 60 minutes of routine rehabilitation and 30 minutes of mirror therapy. Data were analyzed using paired t-test, independent t-test, and ANCOVA in SPSS.23 software considering a significance level of P<0.05.
Results: The mean pre-test GAIT score in the subacute group was 20, which decreased to 14 after intervention, indicating a considerable improvement in their gait performance; in the chronic group, the mean pre-test GAIT score decreased from 22 to 20 after intervention. There was a significant difference between pre-test and post-test GAIT scores in two subacute and chronic groups (P= 0.001). There was also a significant difference in post-test GAIT score between subacute and chronic groups (P=0.001).
Conclusion: Mirror therapy in the subacute phase has more effect on the gait of of stroke patients than in the chronic phase. Therefore, it is recommended to use mirror therapy in the subacute phase after stroke.