NCT02104102

Biomedical Instrumentation in the Study of Mirror Therapy in Elderly's Hands Motor Activity

• Status: Unknown
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 60 (estimated)
• Sponsor: Universidade do Vale do Paraíba · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 60 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

Check if the Mirror therapy represents an effective method in improving the motor activity of the hands of institutionalized elderly.

Detailed description

Among the various functions impaired by aging there is the muscle function, which indirectly affects the quality of life for seniors, since it is crucial to the progressive increase of the debilitating condition, leading to difficulties in carrying out everyday tasks and often making them dependent on the assistance of others. The possible neural mechanisms underlying this decrease in muscle function associated with aging include changes undefined in Central Nervous System, a delay in conduction velocity of motor nerve fibers and in transmission of the neuromuscular junction. In this context, it is necessary to develop procedures that reduce the functional losses and decrease the negative effects of the aging process, increasing the quality of life for seniors. Mirror Therapy (MT) is the one of those possible procedures, which is based on the activation of mirror neurons from the illusion generated by viewing the reflection of a member in a mirror. When performing a movement with a member who is in your field of vision, generated the reflection in the mirror is able to offer the brain a new, albeit illusory visual stimulus, suggesting that covert member is moving. This illusion promotes the activation of mirror neurons located in the sensorimotor cortex region and the progression of therapy, this activation drives cortical plasticity that promotes the reestablishment of functions, such as motor coordination and increased range of motion. Therefore, MT is a promising technique to reduce the functional losses of aging. It is then suggested the implementation of a protocol for functional recovery of MT hands in institutionalized elderly and the measurement of electromyographic activity of the wrist, the range and speed of movement, the writing skill and the application of a questionnaire to Katz index calculation in order to investigate whether the technique can benefit this public.

Conditions

• Muscle Weakness Conditions

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
OTHER	Mirror Therapy	Mirror Therapy, which is based on the activation of mirror neurons from the illusion generated by viewing the reflection of a member in a mirror, that is, intended to facilitate the movement through the practice of bilateral symmetric activities, since it is able to stimulate cortical plasticity, promoting reversal of the decrease and the reestablishment of motor function.
OTHER	Kinesiotherapy	Hands movements.

Timeline

• Start date: 2014-01-01
• Primary completion: 2014-07-01
• Completion: 2014-12-01
• First posted: 2014-04-04
• Last updated: 2014-04-04

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Brazil