ABSTRACT
Objective To explore the effect of bilateral hand function training on the hand function of stroke survivors.Methods Thirty-one patients with unilateral hand dysfunction after stroke were randomly divided into an experimental group of 16 and a control group of 15.Both groups were given 60 minutes of hand function training of their affected hands daily,five days a week for 4 weeks.The experimental group was additionally provided with 40 minutes of bilateral hand training on the basis of the aforementioned intervention.Before the treatment and after the 4 weeks,integrated surface electromyography (iEMG) signals were recorded from both hands' flexor and extensor muscles.Both groups were also assessed using the Fugl-Meyer motor assessment for the upper extremities (FMA-UE).Results After the treatment,the average iEMG of the flexor and extensor muscles during flexion and extension were significantly better than before the treatment in both groups.There was no significant difference between the two groups in their average iEMGs before the treatment,but afterward significant differences were observed in all the iEMG measurements.After the treatment the average total FMA-UE score of the experimental group was significantly higher than that of the control group.Conclusion Bilateral hand function training is significantly more effective than unilateral training in promoting the recovery of flexor and extensor muscle function after a stroke.