Implementation of Mental Practice after Stroke: a novel method
Research type
Research Study
Full title
An evaluation of the feasibility of using a novel audio-visual method to facilitate mental practice for the lower limb in adults after stroke.
IRAS ID
212191
Contact name
Jon Marsden
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Plymouth University
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 0 months, 0 days
Research summary
This study is being undertaken as part of an MSc supported by Plymouth University.\nMental practice is the rehearsal of a movement in the ’mind’s eye’ without actually moving your body. You imagine doing the movement as if you were in your body, including how it would feel. It is recommended as a treatment for the arm after stroke to help with the recovery of movement and function. Some people find this easier than others but it is a skill that can be improved with training. It is not yet clear what the most effective method is to facilitate the use of mental practice as a treatment or maximise its effect, especially in a clinical setting. More research also needs to be done to establish if it is also an effective treatment for the leg and recovery of mobility. This research study will take place on a stroke rehabilitation unit and will involve participants wearing a headset which delivers 3D images of standing and walking from a first person perspective. Alongside these images, audio prompts will guide participants through a staged process that encourages them to do mental practice of the tasks they have seen. An audio-visual device has not been used in this way before. Other studies have used video and audio resources to support mental practice but these have been from a third person perspective. This device uses 3D images from a first person perspective giving a more realistic feeling of movement. The main focus of this study is to evaluate whether this new method is acceptable for people to use after a stroke and whether or not they feel it helped them to do Mental Practice. This information will be used to improve the method and inform the design of future studies to investigate Mental Practice further.\n
REC name
South West - Central Bristol Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
16/SW/0297
Date of REC Opinion
18 Nov 2016
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion