ABSTRACT
Objective To observe the effect of constraint-induced movement therapy combined with motor imagery on unilateral spatial neglect (USN) in stroke patients. Methods Fifty stroke patients with USN were randomly divided into a treatment group ( n = 27 ) and a control group ( n = 23 ). Both groups received routine physical therapy training, including with the Bobath technique and low frequency electrotherapy, while the treatment group received constraint-induced movement therapy and motor imagery in addition. All the patients were assessed with 4 scales of the regular USN assessment ( cancellation tests, line bisection tests, clock drawing tests,copying drawing tests) and with the Barthel index (BI) before and after 8 weeks of treatment. Results After 8 weeks of treatment, both groups' average USN assessments and Barthel indices improved significantly. Furthermore, both the USN results and the Barthel index scores in the treatment group were, on average, significantly better than those in the control group. Conclusion For USN stroke patients, constraint-induced movement therapy combined with motor imagery improves the symptoms of USN and ADL ability significantly better than routine physical therapy treatment alone.