Outcomes of Mirror Therapy Preceding Augmented Reality in Stroke Rehabilitation: A Randomized Controlled Trial.
Chia-Jung Lin, Keh-Chung Lin, Mei-Hsiang Chen et al.
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In 30 seconds
This single-blind, three-arm randomized controlled trial compared mirror therapy (MT) followed by augmented reality (AR), AR alone, and conventional therapy in 77 people with first-ever stroke at five outpatient clinics. Participants received 90-minute sessions three times weekly for 6 weeks, with follow-up at 3 months. MT + AR produced greater motor and sensory improvements than either comparator and the highest proportion of participants exceeding minimal clinically important differences. Both AR groups improved balance, arm use, self-efficacy, and quality of life more than conventional therapy; improvements were maintained at follow-up.
Key findings
- MT + AR produced greater motor and sensory gains than AR alone or conventional therapy.
- The MT + AR group had the highest proportion of participants exceeding minimal clinically important differences.
- Both AR groups showed greater gains than conventional therapy in balance, arm use, self-efficacy, and quality of life.
- Improvements were maintained at 3-month follow-up.
Why it matters
The findings suggest that AR-based rehabilitation may support several aspects of recovery after stroke, while MT priming may add benefit for motor and sensory outcomes. Reporting clinically meaningful change alongside functional and participation-related outcomes helps frame the potential relevance of these approaches beyond impairment measures, although the abstract does not provide effect sizes for judging the magnitude of benefit.
What to keep in mind
The trial included 77 participants across three groups, and follow-up was limited to 3 months. The abstract does not report effect sizes or detailed outcome estimates.