Mental practice therapy in post-stroke patients: a single blind randomized trial.
motor learning, physiotherapy, stroke, imagination.
Introduction: Studies indicate that motor imagination is part of the set of therapies used to achieve success in motor skills results. However, one of the major difficulties in using mental practice through motor imaging is to determine to what extent a person can generate mental representations of movements. This trial will be conducted to determine if a protocol of mental practice for stroke (15 interventions) is more effective than physical practice and whether there are different outcomes if there is variability in the order of therapy. Methods and analysis: This study is randomized to a group with mental protocol after physical practice, group with physical practice after mental practice and a group with physical practice only. The data will be from a controlled, single blind, randomized, 3-arm study. Performed with patients who have had a stroke for at least 6 months, electromyographic, motor performance and imaging capacities will be collected at the beginning of treatment, soon after the interventions and 3 months after the end of the interventions. The primary outcome of the test will be the outcome of effective mental practice in stroke patients, secondary outcomes will be the definition of order of the mental practice protocol if it is effective and if the individual retains learning for 3 months. Ethics and dissemination: This study was approved by the Ethics and Research Committee of the Faculty of Health Sciences of Trairi by protocol 1,978,586. All participants will sign an informed consent form prior to randomization. Trial Registration number: 1.978.586 / 2017 (ClinicalTrials.gov)