الفهرس 
Cerebrovascular StrokeOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
Restoration of upper limb movements in subjects recovering from stroke is an essential keystone in rehabilitative practices. Rehabilitation of arm movements, in fact, is usually a far more difficult one as compared to that of the lower extremities. For these reasons, researchers are developing new methods and technologies, so that the rehabilitative process could be more accurate, rapid and easily accepted by the patient (Goffredo et al., 2008).
Thirty patients with recent stroke were included in our study. Their age ranged between 35 and 77 years. The patients were divided into two groups. Group A consists of 20 patients that were subjected to conventional rehabilitation program, three times per week for four months.The patients in that group were further sub-divided into two subgroups: Group A1 included 10 patients who fulfilling the criteria to receive CIMT (A score of 1 or 2 on the motor arm item of the NIHSS, a score of 0 or 1 on the consciousness, communication and neglect items of the NIHSS and a score of > 3 on the upper arm item of the MAS) but underwent conventional rehabilitation program and Group A2 who included 10 patients not fulfilling the criteria to receive CIMT and received the conventional rehabilitation program.
The 2nd group (Group B) involved 10 patients who were subjected to the CIMT for two hours per day, 5 days per week for two consecutive weeks. All the patients were assessed before the beginning of any treatment method. The assessment included a thorough clinical, functional and neurophysiological assessment. The functional assessment of hemiplegic patients included the Medical Research Council Scale (MRC), The Brunstrom–Fugl Meyer Assesment (FMA), The upper extremity section of the Functional Independent Measure (FIM), The Action Research Arm Test (ARAT), The Nine–Hole Peg test (NHPT), The motor arm item, consciousness, communication and neglect items of National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS)and the upper arm item of the Motor Assessment Scale (MAS).