Volume 33, Issue 160 (September & October 2025)                   J Adv Med Biomed Res 2025, 33(160): 243-249 | Back to browse issues page

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Alipour J, Askary Kachoosangy R. Effect of Mirror Therapy on Gait in Hemiplegic Children. J Adv Med Biomed Res 2025; 33 (160) :243-249
URL: http://journal.zums.ac.ir/article-1-7669-en.html
1- Department of Occupational Therapy, School of Rehabilitation, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
2- Physiotherapy Research Center, School of Rehabilitation Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran , askary_ot@yahoo.com
Abstract:   (581 Views)

Background & Objective: Most children with Cerebral Palsy (CP) experience lower limb-related motor disabilities, such as walking, during their lifetime, leading to a reduced quality of life. Given the great importance of walking and its quality in daily activities, as well as the independence of the individual in their life, the use of various methods to improve walking in children with CP is of great importance. Among the therapeutic approaches explored, mirror therapy stands out for its foundation in the activation of mirror neurons. This study aimed to determine the effect of mirror therapy on gait performance in children with hemiplegic CP.
 Materials & Methods: This double-blind randomized controlled trial (RCT) was conducted 20 children with hemiplegic CP. The treatment group (n=10) underwent 20 treatment sessions during 4 weeks. Each session consisted of 30 minutes of routine treatment and 15 minutes of mirror therapy. In the control group (n=10), sham therapy was performed instead of mirror therapy. At the beginning and end of the study, both groups underwent walking assessment via a gait analysis system.
Results:  Results revealed that before the treatment, the gait of the two groups did not differ significantly; however, most spatiotemporal gait parameters in the treatment group demonstrated significant improvements post-intervention compared to the control group, except of cadence and stance phase duration, which did not show notable differences (p<0.05).
Conclusion:  According to the results, mirror therapy as a complementary treatment appears to improve gait in hemiplegic children.

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Type of Study: Original Research Article | Subject: Clinical Medicine
Received: 2025/08/15 | Accepted: 2025/09/29 | Published: 2025/11/11

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