This study aimed to investigate the effect of motor imagery (MI) intervention with action observation (AO) on upper extremity function and corticospinal activation in stroke patients. MI and AO are two forms of motion simulation that activate the motor system without physical activity. There are many studies that show the effect of AO and MI alone, but there are few studies in parallel. This study was conducted on 45 patients who were divided into an experimental group (n = 22) and a control group (n = 23) using a computer randomization program. The experimental group conducted AO with MI, and the control group only AO. All participants received interventions for twenty-five minutes per session, five times a week, for eight weeks. For the pre- and post-evaluation of all participants, motor evoked potential (MEP) amplitude was measured to compare corticospinal activation, and Fugl-Meyer Assessment Upper Extremity (FMA UE), Wolf Motor Function Test (WMFT) and Motor Activity Log (MAL) were evaluated for changes in upper extremity function. In comparing the amount of change before and after the intervention, a significant change was observed in the experimental group’s MEP amplitude. In the comparison between groups after the intervention and the amount of change before and after the intervention, the experimental group showed significant changes in FMA UE and MAL Amount of Use (MAL AOU) items. As a result of this study, AO with MI is effective in enhancing upper extremity function and increasing cortical spinal cord activation in patients with severe stroke with limited movement.

(1) Background: This study investigated the effect of 3-dimensional robotic therapy (RT) combined with electromyography-triggered neuromuscular electrical stimulation (RT–ENMES) on stroke patients’ upper-limb function and cerebral cortex activation. (2) Methods: Sixty-one stroke patients were assigned randomly to one of three groups. The stroke patients were in the subacute stage between 2 and 6 months after onset. The three groups received 20 min of RT and 20 min of electromyography-triggered neuromuscular electrical stimulation (ENMES) in the RT–ENMES group (n = 21), 40 min of RT in the RT group (n = 20), and 40 min of ENMES in the ENMES group (n = 20). The treatments were for 40 min, 5 days per week, and for 8 weeks. Upper-extremity function was evaluated using the Fugl–Meyer assessment for upper extremity (FMA-UE), Wolf motor function test, and action research arm test (ARAT); cerebral cortex activation and motor-evoked potential (MEP) amplitude were evaluated before and after the study. (3) Results: The analysis showed significant changes in all evaluation items for all three groups in the before-and-after comparisons. Significant changes were observed in the FMA-UE, ARAT, and MEP; in the posttest, the RT–ENMES group showed more significant changes in the FMA-UE, ARAT, and MEP than the other two groups. (4) Conclusions: The study analysis suggests that RT–ENMES effectively improves upper-limb function and cerebral cortex activation in patients with stroke.

Background: We aimed to investigate the effects of low-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (LF-rTMS) combined with motor imagery training (MIT) on upper limb function recovery and primary motor cortex (M1) activation in patients with stroke. Methods: Forty-four patients with stroke were randomly assigned into 2 groups: experimental (both LF-rTMS combined with MIT, N = 22), and control (LF-rTMS, N = 22) groups. The treatment was performed for 20 minutes a day, 3 days a week, for 8 weeks. To evaluate upper limb function, the Fugl–Meyer assessment for upper extremity, wolf motor function test, and action research arm test were conducted. To evaluate M1 activation, motor-evoked potential amplitude was evaluated before and after conducting the study. Results: The results indicated that both groups showed significant changes across all evaluation items before and after the intervention. In the prepost and change comparisons, the experimental group demonstrated significantly greater changes in the FMA-UE, wolf motor function test, and action research arm test than the control group. Moreover, the combined intervention of LF-rTMS and MIT was effective in improving upper limb function and activating M1 in patients with severe stroke. Conclusion: We propose this intervention as a novel clinical intervention method for recovering upper limb function in patients with stroke.

Background: The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of kinesio taping and an upper extremity function home program on the upper extremity function and self-efficacy of stroke patients, and to present therapeutic evidence for home program intervention to improve upper extremity function. Methods: First, 53 stroke patients were randomly assigned to 2 groups: 26 experimental subjects and 27 controls. The experimental group performed kinesio taping on the dorsal part of the hand along with upper extremity functional training home program and the control group performed only upper extremity functional training home program. The intervention was conducted for a total of 30 sessions over 6 weeks. To evaluate changes in upper extremity function, wrist extensor muscle activation via the Surface Electromyography, the Chedoke Arm and Hand Activity Inventory-9 (CAHAI-9), and the motor activity log (including amount of use and quality of movement) were evaluated. In addition, the Self-Efficacy Scale (SES) was evaluated to examine the change in the self- efficacy of the study subjects. Results: The experimental group participating in the kinesio taping and upper limb function home program showed a statistically significant improvement (P < .01) before and after the intervention in the Surface Electrography the Chedoke Arm and Hand Activity Inventory-9 evaluation item in the upper limb function change. The SES evaluation, a self-esteem evaluation, also showed a statistically significant improvement (P < .01) before and after the intervention. Chedoke Arm and Hand Activity Inventory-9, motor activity log (quality of movement), and SES evaluation showed statistically significant differences (P < .05) between the experimental and control groups. Conclusion: It was confirmed that the upper extremity function training home program performed in parallel with the kinesio taping technique had a positive effect on the recovery of upper extremity function and self-esteem in stroke patients. The kinesio taping technique provides stability to the wrist while performing a home program that patients can perform on their own at home and appears to improve upper extremity function more effectively than when performing the upper extremity function home program alone.