The Effect of Motor Imagery on Upper Extremity Function in Stroke Rehabilitation
Recruiting now · Not applicable
Conditions studied: Stroke Rehabilitation
In brief
Stroke is one of the leading causes of mortality and disability worldwide. A proportion of individuals who experience a stroke fail to achieve the desired level of motor recovery in the affected upper extremity following rehabilitation, resulting in significant limitations in activities of daily living. After stroke, rehabilitation programs are essential to reduce disability and enhance functional outcomes. This study aims to evaluate whether the addition of Motor Imagery (MI) to a standard rehabilitation program contributes to improvements in upper extremity motor function in individuals with stroke. MI is a mental practice technique in which individuals cognitively rehearse movements without physically performing them. Although the movement is not executed, the brain regions involved in the movement are activated. Eligible participants will be randomly assigned to three groups. All groups will receive a standard physical therapy and rehabilitation program. The first group will receive only standard physical therapy and rehabilitation. The second group will receive, in addition to conventional therapy, 15 minutes of MI training three days per week, while the third group will receive 15 minutes of MI training five days per week. The total treatment duration for all groups is planned as 30 sessions. Assessments will be conducted at baseline, at the end of the treatment period, and again at the 12th week. This study is based on the hypothesis that adding MI practice to a conventional upper extremity rehabilitation program after stroke will contribute to improvements in activities of daily living and functional recovery, and that these effects may be associated with the frequency of the intervention.
Key facts
- Study ID
- NCT07565363
- Run by
- Sehit Prof. Dr. Ilhan Varank Sancaktepe Training and Research Hospital
- People needed
- 51
- Starts
- 2026-05-01
- Expected to finish
- 2026-12-15
- Last updated by the study team
- 2026-06-08
Who can join
Age: 18 and older. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: not accepted.
You may qualify if…
- Being aged 18 years or older
- Having a diagnosis of ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke confirmed by computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
- Being in the late subacute phase (more than 3 months post-stroke) or chronic phase (more than 6 months post-stroke) following stroke onset
- Presence of unilateral extremity hemiparesis
- Upper extremity stage between II and V for both proximal and distal segments according to the Modified Brunnstrom Classification
- A score of 21 or higher on the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE)
You may not qualify if…
- Severe spasticity in the affected upper extremity, defined as a Modified Ashworth Scale score > 2
- Presence of impaired consciousness, or severe hearing, visual impairment or global aphasia.
- Musculoskeletal disorders affecting upper extremity motor function, such as fracture or arthritis in the affected upper limb
Where it is running
- Sehit Prof. Dr. Ilhan Varank Sancaktepe Training and Research Hospital — Istanbul, Turkey (Türkiye) (enrolling)
Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov
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