Bilateral arm training for patients with chronic hemiparetic in upper limb function

Abstract

Assess the effect that BAT (Bilateral Arm Training) produces on the upper limb motor control in patients with chronic brain injury assessed by the Wolf Motor Function Test (WMFT). Assess if there is a statistically significant correlation between motor control improvement and disability perceived by the Quick Dash questionnaire application. A quasi-experimental study with pre-post treatment measures during three months was performed in a sample of twelve patients with chronic brain injury. Patients received twelve sessions of forty-five minutes from bilateral training with a frequency of three times per week. WMFT and QD were used for the procedure assessment. Outcomes were statistically analyzed by the SPSS v 17.0 software. The study was executed at Polibea. Study's inclusion criteria were as follows: no serious cognitive deficits, one or both upper limb's control motor affected, attend to Polibea two times per week and no sensitive aphasia. After the BAT treatment we observed a statistically significant difference on motor control improvement in the WMFT. However the disability perceived through QD was not statistically significant. In conclusion, BAT improves motor control in our patients with chronic acquired brain injury.