Effects of Task-Based Mirror Therapy for Post-stroke Shoulder-Hand Syndrome

NCT07428811 | Recruiting DMC

• 1 other identifier: REC/0285 Maha Sahar
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 34
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 2

Brief Summary

The study aims to determine the effects of task-based mirror therapy on edema, pain and upper limb motor function with shoulder-hand syndrome in post stroke patients. This randomized clinical trial will take place at Ittefaq Hospital and Trust Lahore and Alara healthcare clinic, Lahore involving 34 participants aged 45-75 years. Using a non-probability convenience sampling method, participants will be randomly assigned by online randomizing tool into two groups: experimental group (17 participants) and control group (17 participants). Both groups will undergo treatment for 30 minutes a day, five days a week, over four weeks. Each task will be performed by repeating each movement 20 times per set for three sets, with a 2-minute break between sets. There will also be 2-minute intervals between each completed task Outcome measures will include pain intensity assessed by the Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS), edema measured by the figure-of-eight method, and upper limb motor function evaluated using the Functional Independence measure (FIM). Assessments will occur at baseline and post-intervention.

Conditions

Stroke

Keywords

Edema; pain; shoulder hand syndrome; Task based mirror therapy; upper limb motor function

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Numeric pain rating scale (NPRS)

  The Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS) is an effective tool for assessing pain intensity in stroke patients, utilizing a scale from 0 to 10, where 0 indicates "no pain" and 10 represents "the worst pain imaginable." This scale is particularly valuable in stroke populations due to its simplicity and quick administration, allowing for effective communication of pain levels even in individuals with cognitive or physical impairments.

  Baseline

• Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS)

  The Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS) is an effective tool for assessing pain intensity in stroke patients, utilizing a scale from 0 to 10, where 0 indicates "no pain" and 10 represents "the worst pain imaginable." This scale is particularly valuable in stroke populations due to its simplicity and quick administration, allowing for effective communication of pain levels even in individuals with cognitive or physical impairments.

  4 weeks

Secondary Outcomes (4)

• Figure of 8 measurement method

  Baseline

• Figure of 8 measurement method

  4 weeks

• Functional independence measure [FIM]

  Baseline

• Functional Independence Measure (FIM)

  4 weeks

Study Arms (2)

Experimental Group A

EXPERIMENTAL

Task based mirror therapy

Other: Task based mirror therapy

group B

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Conventional exercises

Other: Conventional exercises

Interventions

Task based mirror therapy OTHER

Group A will undergo treatment for 30 minutes a day, five days a week, over four weeks. Each task will be performed by repeating each movement 20 times per set for three sets, with a 2-minute break between sets. There will also be 2-minute intervals between each completed task

Experimental Group A

Conventional exercises OTHER

Group B will undergo treatment for 30 minutes a day, five days a week, over four weeks. Each task will be performed by repeating each movement 20 times per set for three sets, with a 2-minute break between sets. There will also be 2-minute intervals between each completed task

group B

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 45 Years - 75 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Both male and female patients are included in the study.
• Subacute stroke patients having stroke less than 6 months are included in this study.
• Stable participants having a stroke severity score \> 6 on National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS).
• Modified Ashworth scale score ≤ 2 of the affected upper extremity.
• Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) score ≥ 24.
• Patients who can sit with or without support.
• No contractures of the affected shoulder, elbow, wrist and fingers.
• Participants who have no history of peripheral nerve injury or musculoskeletal disease

You may not qualify if:

• Participants who have medical problems or co-morbidities that interdict their participation in the study.
• Patients with severe apraxia, somatosensory problems.
• Unilateral neglect
• Severe contractures of the affected shoulder, elbow, wrist and finger.
• Participants who show the symptoms of global or receptive aphasia.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Riphah International University: lead

Study Sites (2)

Alara healthcare clinic

Lahore, Punjab Province, Pakistan

RECRUITING

Ittefaq Hospital and Trust Lahore

Lahore, Punjab Province, Pakistan

RECRUITING

Related Publications (5)

• Lee JI, Kwon SW, Lee A, Tae WS, Pyun SB. Neuroanatomical correlates of poststroke complex regional pain syndrome: a voxel-based lesion symptom-mapping study. Sci Rep. 2021 Jun 22;11(1):13093. doi: 10.1038/s41598-021-92564-7.

  PMID: 34158602 BACKGROUND

• Li L, Li J, He M. Treatment outcomes in post-stroke shoulder-hand syndrome: The role of combined acupuncture, traditional Chinese herb hot compress and rehabilitation training. J Back Musculoskelet Rehabil. 2024;37(4):1023-1030. doi: 10.3233/BMR-230267.

  PMID: 38517771 BACKGROUND

• Feng S, Tang M, Huang G, Wang J, He S, Liu D, Gu L. EMG biofeedback combined with rehabilitation training may be the best physical therapy for improving upper limb motor function and relieving pain in patients with the post-stroke shoulder-hand syndrome: A Bayesian network meta-analysis. Front Neurol. 2023 Jan 10;13:1056156. doi: 10.3389/fneur.2022.1056156. eCollection 2022.

  PMID: 36703623 BACKGROUND

• Saha S, Sur M, Ray Chaudhuri G, Agarwal S. Effects of mirror therapy on oedema, pain and functional activities in patients with poststroke shoulder-hand syndrome: A randomized controlled trial. Physiother Res Int. 2021 Jul;26(3):e1902. doi: 10.1002/pri.1902. Epub 2021 Mar 6.

  PMID: 33675672 BACKGROUND

• Liu H, Xu Y, Jiang W, Hu F, Zhou Y, Pan L, Zhou F, Yin Y, Tan B. Effects of task-based mirror therapy on upper limb motor function in hemiplegia: study protocol for a randomized controlled clinical trial. Trials. 2024 Apr 11;25(1):254. doi: 10.1186/s13063-024-08081-1.

  PMID: 38605413 BACKGROUND

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Stroke; Edema; Pain; Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Cerebrovascular Disorders; Brain Diseases; Central Nervous System Diseases; Nervous System Diseases; Vascular Diseases; Cardiovascular Diseases; Signs and Symptoms; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Neurologic Manifestations; Complex Regional Pain Syndromes; Autonomic Nervous System Diseases; Peripheral Nervous System Diseases; Neuromuscular Diseases

Study Officials

• Binash Afzal, PHD

  Riphah International University

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Central Study Contacts

Maha Sahar, MSPT-NM

CONTACT

03003424449; mahasahar5@gmail.com

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: DOUBLE
• Who Masked: PARTICIPANT, OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: December 8, 2025
• First Posted: February 24, 2026
• Study Start: November 5, 2025
• Primary Completion: April 12, 2026
• Study Completion: April 30, 2026
• Last Updated: February 24, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-02

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

PA (2)