Effectiveness of Modified Constraint-Induced Movement Therapy

Background and purpose: Of all stroke survivors, more than 50% are left with motor disabilities.
Impairment of upper limb movement is a common motor disability. Constraint-Induced Movement
Therapy (CIMT) is an intervention which has been used for the treatment of upper extremity motor disabilities
in stroke patients. Although CIMT is an effective intervention, a recent survey revealed that
this procedure is viewed with apprehension by many clinicians because of concerns about practicality
and resource issues. We developed a modified CIMT that reserves the massed training of the affected
arm without any physical restriction of the intact one and then used it on our stroke patients. This study
was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of this Modified-Constraint-Induced Movement Therapy (m-
CIMT).
Methods: Thirty stroke patients were randomly assigned to either an m-CIMT (n=13) or a control group
(n=17). Subjects in the m-CIMT group received a 2-week course of m-CIMT. Outcomes were evaluated
using the Wolf Motor Function Test (WMFT).
Results: After only 2 weeks of training, significant differences (p<0.05) in favor of m-CIMT were found in
the following 6 elements of the WMFT: Extend elbow with weight, Lift pencil, Stack checkers, Flip
cards, Turn key in lock, and Lift basket.
Conclusion: The present study shows that our m-CIMT is useful in improving the function of the affected
upper extremity in stroke patients.