Abstract
BACKGROUND: Every year in the United States more than 795,000 people are diagnosed with a stroke. It has been found that stroke is the leading cause of long-term disability and reduces mobility in more than half of stroke survivors aged 65 and over. Although every stroke is unique to the individual, one of the most common side effects is hemiplegia. Hemiplegia is described as paralysis of one side of the body and is caused by brain damage or a spinal cord injury.
PURPOSE: The critically appraised topic (CAT) is aimed to determine the effectiveness of mirror therapy as an intervention for improving upper extremity function in individuals with upper extremity hemiplegia, post-stroke.
METHODS: Level 1B randomized control trials and level 1A systematic review were analyzed and included in the CAT if they were published in the past 10 years, were peer-reviewed, included mirror therapy intervention, participants had upper extremity hemiplegia post-stroke, and outcomes included improvement in upper extremity function and depression
RESULTS: Level 1B and level 1A research completed on the effectiveness of mirror therapy intervention for individuals with upper extremity hemiplegia revealed positive evidence regarding the effectiveness of mirror therapy by improving functional performance in activities of daily living, joint specific upper extremity performance, decrease sensorimotor impairments and decreasing depressive symptoms in individuals with upper extremity hemiplegia post-stroke.