The effect of mirror visual feedback on spatial neglect for patients after stroke : a preliminary randomized controlled trial

Abstract

We investigated the effects of mirror visual feedback (MVF), with reference to using a glass wall or a covered mirror, on the reduction of spatial neglect for patients with stroke. A total of 21 subacute patients with left spatial neglect after right-hemispheric stroke were randomly assigned to 3 groups: MVF, sham 1 (viewing the hemiparetic arm through the transparent glass during bilateral arm movement) and sham 2 (using a covered mirror). The 3-week treatment program for all groups consisted of 12 sessions of movement tasks for the hemiparetic arm graded according to the severity of arm impairments. Blinded assessments were administered at pre/post and a three-week follow-up. The results showed that there was no significant advantage for MVF than sham 1; however, MVF was more beneficial than sham 2, as shown by the line crossing (p = 0.022). Improvement in discriminating the left-gap figures on the left and right side of the page in the Gap Detection Test was greater in MVF than using the covered mirror (p = 0.013; p = 0.010), showing a slight advantage of MVF in alleviating allocentric symptoms. Our study confirms that MVF was superior to using a covered mirror as a method for reducing spatial neglect and in alleviating its allocentric symptoms, but no significant advantage over bilateral arm movement through transparent glass was found. Further research in comparing their therapeutic effects is warranted.