The therapeutic effects of constraint-induced movement on patients with upper extremity disorders after head injury

Objective To investigate the therapeutic effects and relative mechanisms when constraint-induced movement therapy (CIMT) is used in patients with upper extremity disorders after head injury, and to compare the effects of CIMT with those of traditional rehabilitation (TR). Methods Thirty-six hemiparesis patients were randomly divided into a CIMT group and a TR group. Patients in the CIMT group were treated with intensive shaping training for 5 h a day for 3 weeks, as well as having their unaffected arms constrained. Meanwhile, the patients in the TR group were treated with traditional rehabilitation with no constraint of their unaffected arms. Motor activity logs (MALs) were compiled, and the Wolf Motor Function Test ( WMFT) and Barthel Index ( BI) were used to evaluate the therapeutic effects before treatment and at 0 d, 1 month and 3 month after treatment. Results Compared with the scores before treatment, the therapeutic effects were significant in the CIMT group, and the effect lasted to the follow-up period. Significant differences were also found between the CIMT group and the TR group in the improvement of dexterity by means of WMFT, and the usage of unaffected upper extremity as recorded in the MAL. There were no significant differences in therapeutic effects between the 2 week and 3 week treatments in the CIMT group. Conclusion CIMT significantly improved upper extremity function and ability in the activities of daily living ( ADL) of hemiplegia patients in the subacute period. The effectiveness of CIMT is superior to that of traditional rehabilitation methods.