Mirror Therapy Combined With Contralaterally Controlled Functional Electrical Stimulation for Peripheral Nerve Injury

January 12, 2026 updated by: National Taiwan University Hospital

Effects of Mirror Therapy Combined With Contralaterally Controlled Functional Electrical Stimulation on Functional Recovery and Neuroplasticity in Patients With Peripheral Nerve Injury

The goal of this trial is to evaluate the effects of mirror therapy combined with contralaterally controlled functional electrical stimulation on motor recovery and neuroplasticity in patients with peripheral nerve injury. The main questions it aims to answer are Question 1: To compare corticomuscular coherence between the groups of mirror therapy combined with contralaterally controlled functional electrical stimulation, sham mirror therapy combined with contralaterally controlled functional electrical stimulation, and control group.

Question 2: To compare sensorimotor recovery between the groups of mirror therapy combined with contralaterally controlled functional electrical stimulation, sham mirror therapy combined with contralaterally controlled functional electrical stimulation, and control group.

Question 3: To evaluate the effects of each intervention on corticomuscular coherence and sensorimotor recovery 12 weeks post-intervention.

Participants will be asked to exercise their affected hand together with the unaffected hand while receiving contralaterally controlled electrical stimulation in front of the mirror or sham mirror. Researchers will compare the effects of mirror therapy combined with contralaterally controlled functional electrical stimulation on corticomuscular coherence and sensorimotor recovery with the other groups.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

The goal of this trial is to evaluate the effects of mirror therapy combined with contralaterally controlled functional electrical stimulation on motor recovery and neuroplasticity in patients with peripheral nerve injury. The main questions it aims to answer are:

Question 1: To compare corticomuscular coherence between the groups of mirror therapy combined with contralaterally controlled functional electrical stimulation, sham mirror therapy combined with contralaterally controlled functional electrical stimulation, and control group.

Question 2: To compare sensorimotor recovery between the groups of mirror therapy combined with contralaterally controlled functional electrical stimulation, sham mirror therapy combined with contralaterally controlled functional electrical stimulation, and control group.

Question 3: To evaluate the effects of each intervention on corticomuscular coherence and sensorimotor recovery 12 weeks post-intervention.

Eligible participants will be randomized into three groups:

MT and CCFES group: mirror therapy combined with contralaterally controlled functional electrical stimulation Sham MT and CCFES group: Sham mirror therapy combined with contralaterally controlled functional electrical stimulation Control group: conventional physiotherapy.

Each participant will receive conventional physiotherapy for 50 minutes daily, twice a week for 12 weeks. Conventional physiotherapy includes scar management, joint range of motion exercise, strengthening, stretching, and functional training. Participants in the MT and CCFES group or Sham MT and CCFES group will receive 30 minutes daily, twice a week of the intervention for 12 weeks in addition to the conventional physiotherapy. In the MT and CCFES group, the participants will sit in front of the mirror and watch the mirror reflection of the unaffected hands. At the same time, contralaterally controlled electrical stimulation will be conducted to make the affected hands move with the unaffected hands. The participants in the Sham MT and CCFES group will sit in front of the mirror without mirror reflection, but doing the exercise with contralaterally controlled functional electrical stimulation. All participants will receive the evaluations at baseline and 12 weeks after the intervention. The evaluations include:

Electroencephalography of α and β bands from the sensorimotor cortices will be recorded.

Electromyography will be performed during maximum isometric pinch or lateral pinch strength measurements.

Maximum isometric grip strength, tip pinch strength, lateral pinch strength, sensation tests, and upper extremity function will be measured.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

7

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • Taiwan
      • Taipei, Taiwan
        • National Taiwan University Hospital

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • newly diagnosed median or ulnar nerve transection injury of the forearm in the past 6 months
  • sufficient communication in the Chinese language
  • being able to follow instructions
  • the presence of target muscle denervation (e.g. muscle atrophy, inability to actively contract)
  • less than 10% surface EMG activity during pinch evaluation compared to the unaffected side

Exclusion Criteria:

  • had central nervous disease
  • had a recent (1 year) history of nerve entrapment syndrome
  • had a history of latent neuropathy, such as diabetes or dialysis

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Double

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Active Comparator: Control group
conventional physiotherapy
Behavioral: conventional physiotherapy
50 minutes of intervention, twice a week, and a total of 12 weeks
Experimental: MT and CCFES group
mirror therapy combined with contralaterally controlled functional electrical stimulation to perform hand exercises
Behavioral: mirror therapy
30 minutes of intervention, twice a week, and a total of 12 weeks
Device: contralaterally controlled functional electrical stimulation
30 minutes of intervention, twice a week, and a total of 12 weeks
Behavioral: conventional physiotherapy
50 minutes of intervention, twice a week, and a total of 12 weeks
Sham Comparator: Sham MT and CCFES group
sham mirror therapy with contralaterally controlled functional electrical stimulation to perform hand exercises
Device: contralaterally controlled functional electrical stimulation
30 minutes of intervention, twice a week, and a total of 12 weeks
Behavioral: conventional physiotherapy
50 minutes of intervention, twice a week, and a total of 12 weeks

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
change from baseline in corticomuscular coherence at week 12
Time Frame: baseline, week 12
coherence will be used to analyze the interaction between the electroencephalogram activation and electromyography activation
baseline, week 12

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
change from baseline in grip strength at week 12
Time Frame: baseline, week 12
average grip strength measured for 3 times in killograms
baseline, week 12
change from baseline in pinch strength at week 12
Time Frame: baseline, week 12
average lateral pinch and palmar pinch measured for 3 times in killograms
baseline, week 12
change from baseline in sensation on Semmes-Weinstein monofilament test at week 12
Time Frame: baseline, week 12
force in grams
baseline, week 12
change from baseline in function on Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand outcome questionnaire at week 12
Time Frame: baseline, week 12
A total scale from 1 to 100. Higher scores indicate greater disability.
baseline, week 12
change from baseline in maximum voluntary isometric contraction in surface EMG at week 12
Time Frame: baseline, week 12
muscle activities of target muscles measured during pinch strength for 3 times in percentage
baseline, week 12

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

National Taiwan University Hospital

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Yueh-Hsia Chen, PhD, National Taiwan University, School of Medicine

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

March 29, 2024

Primary Completion (Actual)

November 30, 2025

Study Completion (Actual)

November 30, 2025

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

January 3, 2024

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

January 8, 2024

First Posted (Actual)

January 17, 2024

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimated)

January 14, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

January 12, 2026

Last Verified

January 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 202309076RINA

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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