Effects of Motor Imagery Training for Lower Limb Dysfunction in Patients With Stroke: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

The aim of the study is to determine the effects of motor imagery training associated with conventional rehabilitation therapies on lower limb motor function recovery in poststroke patients. DESIGN: Comprehensive literature searches were performed to identify studies published before June 5, 2022. RevMan 5.3 software was used for meta-analysis. The quality of the included studies was assessed using the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool and the modified Jadad scale. The certainty of the evidence was evaluated with the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluations system. RESULT: Twenty-three trials and/or 1109 participants with motor imagery training ability were included in this review. Motor imagery training combined with conventional rehabilitation therapies versus conventional rehabilitation therapies demonstrated significant benefits in motor function, balance function, temporospatial gait variables (walking speed, stride length, and cadence) and activities of daily living. Subgroup analysis demonstrated that motor imagery training–conventional rehabilitation therapies had a better effect on improvement in motor function and activities of daily living in the acute phase and had a greater benefit on walking speed in the chronic phase. In addition, motor imagery training–conventional rehabilitation therapies resulted in greater improvements in stride length, cadence, walking ability, and balance function in the subacute phase. CONCLUSIONS: Motor imagery training–conventional rehabilitation therapies have better effects on the recovery of lower limb motor function in poststroke patients than conventional rehabilitation therapies, which may be most beneficial for lower extremity motor function recovery in the first 7 days to 6 mos.