Effects of Mirror Therapy Applied in Patients after Stroke – Literature Review
Keywords:
Mirror Therapy, Stroke, Motor and Cognitive Rehabilitation, Neuroplasticity, Physical TherapyAbstract
Introduction. Stroke is characterized as the rapid development of clinical signs of focal and/or global disorders of brain function causing changes in sensory, motor, and cognitive planes. Goals. To analyze the effectiveness of Mirror Therapy (ET) in motor and cognitive function in stroke patients. Methodology. This is a descriptive research, literature review between the years 2007 to 2022, found in the platforms Scientific Electronic Library Online (Scielo), Phisiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro), USP Journal and Pubmed database on the theme of the study by the descriptors in health (DeCS), stroke, Mirror Therapy, Motor and Cognitive Rehabilitation, Neuroplasticity and Physical Therapy. Initially, 248 articles were identified using keywords; Initially, 191 were excluded, being duplicate articles and totally out of topic, of the remaining 57, 45 were excluded in the second stage for presenting electrothermophototherapeutic resources in their methodology. Leaving 12 articles for being purely related to the topic. Findings. Mirror therapy provides recovery from brain damage by enabling neuroplasticity; improves the sensitivity and functionality of the affected limb and improves motor skill and cognition mastery when associated with systematized and standardized kinesiotherapy in stroke patients. Conclusion. The association of physiotherapy with ET consists in the improvement of motor and cognitive functionality, which may be associated with other physiotherapeutic techniques or performed alone.
