Mental practice for upper limb motor restoration after stroke: an updated meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

OBJECTIVES: Stroke is a common refractory disease that may cause dysfunctions in the motor system. The study aimed to evaluate the effects of mental practice (MP) compared with other methods on upper limb motor restoration after stroke.

METHODS: Eligible studies were identified from Pubmed, Embase, and The Cochrane Library. The study quality was assessed with the Cochrane risk assessment tool and heterogeneity test was performed using I2 statistic and Q test. Random- and fixed-effects models were used and data were reported as weighted mean difference (WMD) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). The publication bias was examined by Egger's test and the sensitivity analysis was conducted by ignoring one literature at a time to observe whether this document could reverse the merged results.

RESULTS: Total of 12 randomized controlled trials were identified. No evidence of publication bias was found. In a fixed-effect model, MP (experimental group) resulted in a significantly larger increase in Fugl-Meyer assessment (FMA) compared with other exercise methods (control group) (WMD = 2.0702, 95% CI: 1.2354-2.905, Z = 4.8606, P < 0.001). In a random-effect model, a significant pooled outcome was obtained for action research arm test (ARAT) (WMD = 4.0936, 95% CI: 1.9900-6.1971, Z = 3.8141, P < 0.001). Sensitivity analysis revealed that the merged WMDs of FMA and ARAT were not reversed.

CONCLUSIONS: Mental practice is effective on upper limb motor restoration after stroke. It is recommended to treat with MP to improve the outcome of stroke.