Comparative Effects of Somatosensory Stimulation and Task Based Mirror Therapy in Post Stroke Patients

Comparative Effects of Somatosensory Stimulation and Task Based Mirror Therapy on Upper Limb Function in Post Stroke Patients

This randomized controlled trial will be conducted at the Department of Physical Therapy, DHQ Hospital Sheikhupura, over duration of eleven months. A total of 20 stroke patients meeting inclusion criteria will be conveniently sampled and randomly assigned into two groups. Group A will receive somatosensory stimulation, while Group B will undergo task-based mirror therapy. Interventions will be administered five times per week for four weeks. Upper limb function will be assessed at baseline and post-intervention using the Fugl-Meyer Assessment for Upper Extremity (FMA-UE), Action Research Arm Test (ARAT), and the Box and Block Test (BBT) to assess upper limb motor function, task based performance and gross motor dexterity. Data analysis will be performed using SPSS version 26.

Study Overview

• Status: Active, not recruiting
• Conditions: Stroke; Stroke (CVA) or TIA; Upper Limb Function
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Mirror Therapy:; Other: Somatosensory Stimulation

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 24
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Pakistan
  • Sheikhupura, Pakistan
    • Department of Physical Therapy, DHQ Hospital Sheikhupura

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Age: above 40-70 years
• Both Male and female patients
• Unilateral ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke
• Having attack duration of 1 to 6 months
• Mild - Moderate motor impairment
• Moderate cognitive ability according to Mini-mental State Examination score >24 3 grade Brunnstrom upper extremity stage

Exclusion Criteria:

• Aphasia
• Serious unilateral neglect (Star Cancellation Test ≤ 44/54) or visual field deficiency
• Any other comorbid neurological diseases except for stroke
• Diagnosis of any other neuromuscular or orthopedic disease in the upper extremities

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

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

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Task based Mirror Therapy; Patients will be administered with Task-Based Mirror Therapy, where they will practice real-life functional movement through a mirror reflection of the movement of the affected upper limb. The mirror will be located with a sagittal angle so that the reflection of the patient only display the image of the non-affected limb, resulting in an optical illusion that both limbs move symmetrically	Other: Mirror Therapy: Patients will be administered with Task-Based Mirror Therapy, where they will practice real-life functional movement through a mirror reflection of the movement of the affected upper limb. The mirror will be located with a sagittal angle so that the reflection of the patient only display the image of the non-affected limb, resulting in an optical illusion that both limbs move symmetrically
Experimental: Somatosensory Stimulation; The group will be provided with somatosensory stimulation-induced rehabilitation of the upper limb, which will personalize to patients with both motor and sensory disturbance after stroke. The aim of the therapy will be to improve the functioning of upper limbs that focused directly on tactile, proprioceptive, and sensory discrimination abilities (14). The session will be started with a 5-minute warm-up, and the muscle groups involved active-assisted movement of the shoulder, elbow, and wrist to achieve better circulation and excite the limb to receive the sensations. Patients will be advised to direct their attention to the kinaesthetics of motion.	Other: Somatosensory Stimulation; The group will be provided with somatosensory stimulation-induced rehabilitation of the upper limb, which will personalize to patients with both motor and sensory disturbance after stroke. The aim of the therapy will be to improve the functioning of upper limbs that focused directly on tactile, proprioceptive, and sensory discrimination abilities (14). The session will be started with a 5-minute warm-up, and the muscle groups involved active-assisted movement of the shoulder, elbow, and wrist to achieve better circulation and excite the limb to receive the sensations. Patients will be advised to direct their attention to the kinaesthetics of motion.; Other Names: somatosensory stimulation-induced rehabilitation

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
BOX & BLOCK TEST	The Box and Block Test (BBT) is a performance-based measure of gross manual dexterity that allows clinicians to infer about levels of activity	4th Week
ACTION RESEARCH ARM TEST	Action research arm test has been used widely clinically for the assessment of upper extremity function post stroke and in various other conditions. Measurement of recovery after stroke is becoming increasingly important with the advent of new treatment options under investigation in stroke rehabilitation research.	4th Week

Other Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Fugl-Meyer Assessment for Upper Extremity (FMA-UE)	The Fugl-Meyer Assessment of Upper Extremity (FMA-UE) is recommended for evaluation of sensorimotor impairment post stroke, but the item-level reliability of the scale is unknown. The FMA-UE is reliable both within and between raters in patients with stroke in the early subacute phase. A wider international use of FMA-UE will allow comparison of stroke recovery between regions and countries and thereby potentially improve the quality of care and rehabilitation in persons with stroke worldwide.	4th week

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Riphah International University
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Zain Ul Abbas, Ms, Riphah International University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): July 1, 2025
• Primary Completion (Estimated): May 1, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): July 1, 2026

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: May 5, 2026
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 5, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): May 11, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): May 11, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 5, 2026
• Last Verified: May 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Stroke Rehabilitation; Mirror Therapy; Somatosensory Stimulation; Motot recovery
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Cerebrovascular Disorders; Brain Diseases; Central Nervous System Diseases; Nervous System Diseases; Vascular Diseases; Cardiovascular Diseases; Stroke; Therapeutics; Physical Therapy Modalities; Rehabilitation; Mirror Movement Therapy
• Other Study ID Numbers: REC/RCR & AHS/25/0225

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