Mental Practice to Reduce Severe Upper Extremity Hemiparesis: A Feasibility Pilot Study

Limited interventions address severe upper extremity (UE) hemiparesis. The feasibility of mental practice (MP) in acute inpatient rehabilitation (AIR) is unexplored. The purpose of this pilot study was to assess the effect of MP on severe UE hemiparesis and the feasibility of MP in AIR. Single-group, pretest-posttest. Eleven patients ages 18-90, <1-month post-stroke, with UE hemiparesis completed an MP protocol, 5 days/week for 2 weeks. The Wolf Motor Function Test (WMFT) and Fugl Meyer Assessment (FM) assessed UE functional abilities and impairments. The patients and 17 occupational therapists working in AIR were surveyed to determine the feasibility of MP. Wilcoxon signed-rank test showed a statistically significant difference in FMA and WMFT scores pretest to posttest. The feasibility survey results found MP to be appropriate and feasible, with lower scores in acceptability. MP appears to be feasible and appropriate to address severe UE hemiparesis in the AIR setting.