Effects of Task-Oriented Training on Motor and Cognitive Functions in Patients with Stroke

The objective of this study is to investigate the effects of task-oriented training (TOT) applied additionally to Bobath training (BT), on motor and cognitive functions in stroke patients. 20 stroke patients with mild cognitive problems according to the Mini Mental State Examinitation (MMSE) were included in the study, and divided into two groups by randomization: BT+TOT (n=10) (TOTG) and BT (n=10) (BTG). TOTG received TOT in addition to BT, while BTG received only BT. BT and TOT were applied 5 days a week for a total of 8 weeks. Functional Independence Measure (FIM) and Barthel Index (BI) were used to evaluate motor functions, and Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Dynamic Loewenstein Occupational Therapy Cognitive Assessment- Geriatric version (DLOTCA-G) were used to evaluate cognitive functions before and after the intervention. While there was a significant increase in motor function scores in both groups after the intervention, a statistically greater increase was found in TOTG than in BTG (p <0.05). Furthermore, the results showed that TOT applied in addition to BT improved cognitive functions, except memory, more than BT applied alone (p <0.05). To the best of our knowledge, our study is the first study in the literature that aimed to investigate the effects of TOT on both motor and cognitive functions in patients with stroke. In conclusion, combining TOT with BT may be preferred as an easily accessible, safe and effective training method for stroke patients, to improve the motor and cognitive functions and to increase the participation of patients with post-stroke cognitive impairments.