Acute StrokeStrokeNCT07204067
Mirror Therapy for Hand Function Recovery in Acute Stroke
A study testing Mirror Therapy Conventional Physiotherapy in people with Acute Stroke, run by Riphah International University at 1 site in Pakistan.
Trial summary
Randomized controlled trial to determine whether mirror therapy (MT), added to conventional physiotherapy, improves upper-limb motor recovery, hand function, spasticity, and range of motion (ROM) in acute stroke compared with conventional physiotherapy alone. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 40 to 55 years
- Conditions the study is for
- Acute Stroke
- What is being tested?
- Mirror Therapy Conventional Physiotherapy
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 44 participants
- Where
- 1 sitePakistan
- Study dates
- 15 Aug 2025to 17 Sep 2027
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 40 to 55 years
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult
Who may be able to join
- Age 40-55 years
- Acute ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke within the last 1 month
- Unilateral hemiparesis/hemiplegia
- Medically stable and cleared for rehabilitation
- Able to follow verbal instructions; MMSE ≥ 24
- Provides written informed consent
Who cannot join
- Recurrent stroke or bilateral involvement
- Severe cognitive impairment (MMSE < 24)
- Visual field deficits, unilateral neglect, or severe aphasia interfering with MT
- Other neurological disorders (e.g., Parkinson's, MS)
- Orthopedic conditions affecting upper limb/trunk
- Uncontrolled cardio-respiratory disease limiting exercise
Show all 9Show fewer
- Severe spasticity (MAS ≥ 3) in affected limb
- Concurrent enrollment in other interventional trials
- Inability/refusal to consent
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
Pakistan1 site, 1 recruiting
- Recruiting
Riphah international University Malakand Campus
Malakand, KPK, 23060
Dr.Nadeem Ahmad, MS, 03451915105, n.ahmad@riphah.edu.pk
Dr.Nadeem Ahmad, MS, 03028367237, drnadeem765@gmail.com
About this study
Official title: Effectiveness of Mirror Therapy in Improving Motor Recovery and Hand Function in Patients With Acute Stroke A Randomized Controlled Trial
Randomized controlled trial to determine whether mirror therapy (MT), added to conventional physiotherapy, improves upper-limb motor recovery, hand function, spasticity, and range of motion (ROM) in acute stroke compared with conventional physiotherapy alone. Outcomes include ARAT, Motor Assessment Scale, Modified Ashworth Scale, and goniometric ROM.
Read the detailed description
Stroke causes significant upper-limb impairment in the acute stage; early, targeted rehabilitation leverages heightened neuroplasticity. Mirror therapy uses a mid-sagittal mirror to reflect movements of the non-paretic limb, creating the illusion of normal movement in the paretic limb, recruiting mirror neuron circuits and facilitating motor relearning. Prior work suggests MT can improve fine and gross motor skills, reduce spasticity, and increase active ROM. This trial operationalizes a pragmatic MT protocol integrated with standard inpatient/outpatient physiotherapy in acute stroke.
- Conditions
- Acute Stroke
- Being tested
- Mirror Therapy Conventional Physiotherapy
- Keywords
- Mirror Therapy Acute Stroke
- Medical subject headings
- Stroke
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Mirror Therapy Conventional PhysiotherapyBehavioural
Also called intervention for stroke
Experimental: Mirror Therapy + Conventional Physiotherapy Mirror therapy performed 20 min/session, 2 sessions/week for 1 week. A mirror is placed midsagittal, reflecting the non-paretic limb while hiding the paretic limb. Patients perform bilateral movements (wrist, finger, elbow flex/extension; reaching/grasping) while focusing on the mirror image. This is followed by 20 min of conventional physiotherapy, including strengthening, functional tasks, theraputty squeezes, finger extension with rubber band, towel wringing, lifting small objects, overhead reaching, and ball toss.
Active Comparator: Conventional Physiotherapy Only Conventional physiotherapy 20 min/session, 2 sessions/week for 1 week. Exercises include upper limb strengthening, functional task practice, theraputty squeezes, finger extension with rubber band, towel wringing, lifting small objects, overhead reaching, and ball toss.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Mirror Therapy + Conventional Physiotherapy | Experimental | Experimental: Mirror Therapy + Conventional Physiotherapy
Device/Procedure: Mirror Therapy (20 min/session) + immediate Conventional Physiotherapy (20 min/session)
Schedule: 2 sessions/week for 1 week (total: 2 sessions)
MT Procedure: Mirror (box or plain) placed along mid-sagittal plane reflecting the non-paretic limb while hiding the paretic limb. Participants perform bilateral symmetrical movements focusing on the mirror image (e.g., wrist flex/ext, finger flex/ext, elbow flex/ext, reaching \& grasping).
Conventional Content (immediately after MT): strengthening \& functional task practice (e.g., reaching/transfers), plus targeted hand training: theraputty squeezes, finger extension with rubber band, towel wringing, lifting small objects, reaching overhead/side-to-side with weight, weighted ball toss/catch. Receives: Behavioral: Mirror Therapy Conventional Physiotherapy |
| Conventional Physiotherapy Only | Active comparator | Procedure: Conventional Physiotherapy (20 min/session), no mirror. Same schedule and exercise menu as above without visual mirror feedback.
Notes: The proposal specifies 1 week duration with 2 sessions/week, 20 min each; centers may extend to clinically standard dosage via protocol amendment if needed. Receives: Behavioral: Mirror Therapy Conventional Physiotherapy |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Upper-Limb Function (ARAT total score, 0-57)
Change from baseline to end of week 1; higher scores = better function.
Measured: 6 Months
Secondary outcomes (1)
Motor Function (Motor Assessment Scale - relevant upper-limb items, 0-6 per item)
Change baseline→week 1; higher = better.
Measured: 6months
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted2 Oct 2025
- Study start15 Aug 2025
- Primary completion17 Aug 2027 (estimated)
- Study completion17 Sep 2027 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Acute StrokeStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Health services research
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Model description
- Parallel Assignment (2 arms)
- Masking
- Single blind
- Who is masked
- Participant
- Enrolment
- 44 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Riphah International University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Dr.Nadeem Ahmad, MS, Principal investigator, Riphah International University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07204067
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- RIPHAH-REC Sapna Kursheed
- Acronym
- Stroke
- Status last verified
- Sep 2025
- First submitted
- 25 Sep 2025
- Last updated
- 2 Oct 2025
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- Yes
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 2 Oct 2025. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Effectiveness of Mirror Therapy in Improving Motor Recovery and Hand Function in Patients With Acute Stroke A Randomized Controlled Trial
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07204067
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- Stroke / RIPHAH-REC Sapna Kursheed
- Conditions
- Acute Stroke
- Keywords
- Mirror Therapy Acute Stroke
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Recruiting
- Enrolment
- 44 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Riphah International UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 15 Aug 2025 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 17 Aug 2027 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 17 Sep 2027 (estimated)
- First posted
- 2 Oct 2025 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
Randomized controlled trial to determine whether mirror therapy (MT), added to conventional physiotherapy, improves upper-limb motor recovery, hand function, spasticity, and range of motion (ROM) in acute stroke compared with conventional physiotherapy alone. Outcomes include ARAT, Motor Assessment Scale, Modified Ashworth Scale, and goniometric ROM.
Detailed description
Stroke causes significant upper-limb impairment in the acute stage; early, targeted rehabilitation leverages heightened neuroplasticity. Mirror therapy uses a mid-sagittal mirror to reflect movements of the non-paretic limb, creating the illusion of normal movement in the paretic limb, recruiting mirror neuron circuits and facilitating motor relearning. Prior work suggests MT can improve fine and gross motor skills, reduce spasticity, and increase active ROM. This trial operationalizes a pragmatic MT protocol integrated with standard inpatient/outpatient physiotherapy in acute stroke.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Health services research
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind (participant)
- Number of arms
- 2
- Model description
- Parallel Assignment (2 arms)
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Mirror Therapy + Conventional Physiotherapy | Experimental | Behavioral: Mirror Therapy Conventional PhysiotherapyExperimental: Mirror Therapy + Conventional Physiotherapy Device/Procedure: Mirror Therapy (20 min/session) + immediate Conventional Physiotherapy (20 min/session) Schedule: 2 sessions/week for 1 week (total: 2 sessions) MT Procedure: Mirror (box or plain) placed along mid-sagittal plane reflecting the non-paretic limb while hiding the paretic limb. Participants perform bilateral symmetrical movements focusing on the mirror image (e.g., wrist flex/ext, finger flex/ext, elbow flex/ext, reaching \& grasping). Conventional Content (immediately after MT): strengthening \& functional task practice (e.g., reaching/transfers), plus targeted hand training: theraputty squeezes, finger extension with rubber band, towel wringing, lifting small objects, reaching overhead/side-to-side with weight, weighted ball toss/catch. |
| Conventional Physiotherapy Only | Active comparator | Behavioral: Mirror Therapy Conventional PhysiotherapyProcedure: Conventional Physiotherapy (20 min/session), no mirror. Same schedule and exercise menu as above without visual mirror feedback. Notes: The proposal specifies 1 week duration with 2 sessions/week, 20 min each; centers may extend to clinically standard dosage via protocol amendment if needed. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 40 to 55 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult
Key inclusion criteria (6 listed)
- Age 40-55 years
- Acute ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke within the last 1 month
- Unilateral hemiparesis/hemiplegia
- Medically stable and cleared for rehabilitation
- Able to follow verbal instructions; MMSE ≥ 24
Key exclusion criteria (9 listed)
- Recurrent stroke or bilateral involvement
- Severe cognitive impairment (MMSE < 24)
- Visual field deficits, unilateral neglect, or severe aphasia interfering with MT
- Other neurological disorders (e.g., Parkinson's, MS)
- Orthopedic conditions affecting upper limb/trunk
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Mirror Therapy Conventional PhysiotherapyAlso: intervention for strokeExperimental: Mirror Therapy + Conventional Physiotherapy Mirror therapy performed 20 min/session, 2 sessions/week for 1 week. A mirror is placed midsagittal, reflecting the non-paretic limb while hiding the paretic limb. Patients perform bilateral movements (wrist, finger, elbow flex/extension; reaching/grasping) while focusing on the mirror image. This is followed by 20 min of conventional physiotherapy, including strengthening, functional tasks, theraputty squeezes, finger extension with rubber band, towel wringing, lifting small objects, overhead reaching, and ball toss. Active Comparator: Conventional Physiotherapy Only Conventional physiotherapy 20 min/session, 2 sessions/week for 1 week. Exercises include upper limb strengthening, functional task practice, theraputty squeezes, finger extension with rubber band, towel wringing, lifting small objects, overhead reaching, and ball toss. | Behavioural | Conventional Physiotherapy Only, Mirror Therapy + Conventional Physiotherapy |
Primary outcome
Upper-Limb Function (ARAT total score, 0-57)
Time frame: 6 Months
Change from baseline to end of week 1; higher scores = better function.
1 secondary outcome
Motor Function (Motor Assessment Scale - relevant upper-limb items, 0-6 per item)
Time frame: 6months
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 2 Oct 2025.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
Dr.Nadeem Ahmad, MS principal investigator
Riphah International University
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Mirror Therapy Conventional Physiotherapy in people with Acute Stroke, run by Riphah International University at 1 site in Pakistan.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 6 inclusion and 9 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 2 Oct 2025. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in Pakistan. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Dr.Nadeem Ahmad, MS (03451915105, n.ahmad@riphah.edu.pk), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Upper-Limb Function (ARAT total score, 0-57) (time frame: 6 Months). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 2 Oct 2025.