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Unilateral strength training with and without a mirror to improve motor function after stroke: Past, present, and future
journal contribution
posted on 2023-07-26, 14:47 authored by Kenneth Monaghan, Daniel Simpson, Monika Ehrensberger, Tjerk ZultUnilateral resistance training not only strengthens muscles on the trained side but also the homologous muscles on the untrained side. This phenomenon is called cross-education and was first observed in 1894. Since then, many studies have been conducted in neurologically intact persons but the potential of cross-education for people with unilateral orthopaedic and neurological impairments remains largely unexplored. In this commentary, we highlight the potential of cross-education in the rehabilitation after stroke. Current clinical practice in stroke rehabilitation is to train the more-affected side but people with a severe hemiparesis are often not able to train this side due to muscle weakness and limited range of motion. Resistance training of the less-affected side might be a great tool to improve muscle strength and motor function of the more-affected side. Mirror therapy, where a mirror reflection of the less-affected side creates the illusion that the more affected side is exercising, could even further augment these cross-education benefits. Three functional networks (i.e., attentional resources, the mirror-neuron system, and the motor network) play a role in cross-education with and without a mirror and induce neuroplasticity in the brain that can help people who have had a stroke in their recovery. The use of inter-limb mechanisms in the rehabilitation from unilateral impairments has to be exploited further and should be incorporated in the standard protocols for neurologic and musculoskeletal rehabilitation.
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Refereed
- Yes
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39Issue number
1Publication title
Physiotherapy Practice and ResearchISSN
2213-0691External DOI
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IOS PressLanguage
- other
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2019-10-10Legacy Faculty/School/Department
ARCHIVED Faculty of Medical Science (until September 2018)Usage metrics
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