Motor function improvement with mirror therapy in stroke patients: a CAT

Introduction Stroke comprises several conditions characterized by sudden, non-convulsive loss of neurological function. A large percentage of individuals who survive stroke will have limb motor sequelae. Aim To assess the validity and applicability of the results regarding the effectiveness of mirror therapy in patients with stroke and answer the following question: In stroke subjects, can mirror therapy improve motor function? Method We analyzed the article "Mirror therapy for improving motor function after stroke," Cochrane Systematic Review [Thieme 20121]. Results Mirror therapy may increase motor function between the second and sixth week of intervention, with a standardized mean difference (SMD) of 0.61 (95% CI 0.22-1.00). Conclusion Despite methodological limitations of the primary studies included in the systematic review, we found that mirror therapy is a reasonable adjunct to standard therapy by physiotherapists.