Influence and significance of bilateral upper-extremity training on recovery of upper-extremity motor function for hemiplegic patients with mild-moderate cerebral apoplexy: a randomised controlled study

BACKGROUND: The recovery of coordination ability of both hands is conductive to improving the activity of daily living for hemiplegic patients. OBJECTIVE: To explore the influence and significance of bilateral upper-extremity training on recovery of upper-extremity motor function for hemiplegic patients with mild-moderate cerebral apoplexy. METHODS: Patients were divided into control group and experimental group. The patients in the control group only exercised the upper limbs on the affected side, while the patients in the experimental group exercised the upper limbs on both sides. The Fugl Mayer Assessment Upper Extremity Scale (FMA-UE), Upper Extermities Functional Test (UEFT), modified Barthel index (MBI) and Brunnstrom scores were evaluated in the two groups before and after treatment. RESULTS: After four weeks, six weeks and eight weeks of treatment, scores of FMA-UE, UEFT, MBI and Brunnstrom for patients increased with the extension of training time, and FMA-UE, UEFT, MBI and Brunnstrom scores for patients of the two groups after four weeks six weeks and eight weeks of treatment showed a significant difference (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: The improvement of upper-extremity motor function can be facilitated via relatively conventional training of bilateral upper-extremity training adopted by hemiplegic patients with mild-moderate cerebral apoplexy.