The effects of lower extremity mirror therapy and dual task training on balance, fall and mobility in individuals with chronic stroke

Alternative treatment methods are tried in physiotherapy and rehabilitation programs aimed at affecting balance, walking, standing, and daily living activities in individuals with stroke. Lower extremity mirror therapy and dual task training applications are alternative methods whose effectiveness is still being investigated. In this direction, it is aimed to investigate the effects of lower extremity mirror therapy and dual task training on balance, falls, and mobility in our study. Fifty individuals with chronic stroke between the ages of 18 and 65 were included in our study Participants were randomized into mirror therapy and dual-task training groups. All participants were assessed pre- intervention and post-intervention using the Berg Balance Scale for balance assessment the Fes-I International Fall Activity Scale for falls, and the Timed-Up Go (TUG) test for mobility assessment. Firstly, conservative treatment was applied to all individuals in 20 minutes. Twenty minutes of lower extremity mirror therapy for the mirror therapy group and 20 minutes of dual task training for the dual task group were applied in addition to conservative treatment. All exercises were performed 2 times a week for 6 weeks with the supervision of a physiotherapist. There was no statistically significant difference between Time-up Go, Fes-I, and Berg balance scores after the intervention compared to before intervention in individuals who received dual task training (p>0.050). While there was no statistically significant difference in Time-up Go score (p = 0.062), there was a statistically significant difference in Fes-I (p = 0.008) and Berg balance (p = 0.032) scores between pre-intervention and post-intervention assessments in the mirror therapy group. No statistically significant difference was found when the post-intervention difference in all outcome measurements was compared between the groups (p>0.050). As a result, it was observed that fall and balance scores improved with mirror therapy training, but there was no improvement in mobility, while dual task training did not create a statistically significant improvement in all these parameters. Additionally, when the group receiving dual task training and the group receiving mirror therapy training were compared, it was determined that the groups were not superior to each other in terms of the effectiveness of the interventions. Keywords: Lower Extremity, Mirror Therapy, Dual Task, Stroke.