Graded motor imagery training as a home exercise program for upper limb motor function in patients with chronic stroke: A randomized controlled trial.

Purpose: Although several types of occupational therapy for motor recovery of the upper limb in patients with chronic stroke have been investigated, most treatments are performed in a hospital or clinic setting. We investigated the effect of graded motor imagery (GMI) training, as a home exercise program, on upper limb motor recovery and activities of daily living (ADL) in patients with stroke.

Methods: This prospective randomized controlled trial recruited 42 subjects with chronic stroke.

Is the modified Mann Assessment of Swallowing Ability useful for assessing dysphagia in patients with mild to moderate dementia?

Dysphagia is an important causative factor of aspiration pneumonia among the elderly, particularly in patients with dementia. The modified Mann Assessment of Swallowing Ability (mMASA) is commonly used as a physician-administered screening protocol for assessing dysphagia due to its merits as a clinical test that does not involve special equipment or radiation exposure. The present study investigated whether the mMASA would reflect the dysphagia state as estimated by videofluoroscopic swallowing study (VFSS) findings and cognitive function in patients with dementia.