Effectiveness of Constraint-induced Movement Therapy in Chronic Stroke Patients
Areerat Suputtitada MD*, Nijasri C Suwanwela MD**, Suwita Tumvitee PT, MSc***
Affiliation : * Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University ** Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University *** Sport Medicine Program, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University
Objective : The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of constraint-induced movement
therapy (CIMT) in dexterity with Action Research Arm Test (ARA test), hand grip strength, pinch strength of
affected upper extremity in chronic stroke patients.
Materials and Methods : An observer-blinded randomized control trial, 69 chronic stroke patients were
allocated either to constraint-induced movement technique (n = 33) or conservative treatment (n = 36). The
CIMT group received 6 hours of daily affected-upper-extremity training and restrained unaffected upper
extremities for 5 days per week, totally 2 weeks. The control group received bimanual-upper-extremity training
by conservative neurodevelopmental technique without restrained unaffected upper extremities for 2 weeks.
Results : The CIMT group had ARA scores, pinch strength of affected upper extremities statistically signifi-
cant higher than the control group at p < 0.05, but the hand grip strength had no statistically significant
difference, p > 0.05.
Conclusions : CIMT of unaffected upper extremities has an advantage for chronic stroke patients which may
be an efficacious technique of improving motor activity and exhibiting learned nonuse.
Keywords : Constraint-induced movement therapy, Chronic stroke, ARA scores, Hand grip and pinch strength
