Mirror Therapy: Effects on Functional Recuperation of Severe Upper Limb Paresis After Stroke

After stroke, patients frequently suffer from arm or hand weakness. There are numerous rehabilitation methods to stimulate recovery, amongst which mirror therapy (MT). It is particularly interesting in cases for which impairment is severe, as many other forms of therapy are often impossible. During MT, a mirror is placed in the midsagittal plane, so as to hide the impaired limb. Thereafter, the subject is asked to move his unimpaired limb while looking at its reflection in the mirror, thereby creating the illusion that the contralateral, impaired limb is moving. The objective of this study is to better determine the efficacy of MT. The investigators will therefore compare recovery of arm function in two groups of patient, that perform a regimen of 30 minutes of therapy, 5 times a week, for 4 weeks on top of conventional therapy. One group performs MT and the other one performs a therapy in which the same movements are performed, but without the use of a mirror, with unrestricted view of both limbs. Allocation to each group will be randomized. Arm function will be evaluated by use of a scale before, during and after the 4 week period. The assessor for the primary outcome measure will not know in which group the patient is. There will be a total of 30 patients included over a one year study period.