1: Stroke. 2009 Jun;40(6):2222-5. Epub 2009 Apr 23. Links
A randomized controlled trial of mental imagery augment generalization of
learning in acute poststroke patients.

Liu KP, Chan CC, Wong RS, Kwan IW, Yau CS, Li LS, Lee TM.
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Our previous studies demonstrated that mental imagery
intervention enhanced poststroke patients relearning daily task performance.
This study aimed to test the efficacy of mental imagery for promoting
generalization of the task skills learned in a training environment to trained
and untrained tasks carried out in a novel environment. METHODS: Thirty-five
acute poststroke patients were randomly assigned to the mental imagery (MI;
n=18) or conventional functional rehabilitation (FR; n=17) group. The MI
intervention was 3-week standardized practices and daily tasks using the
chunking-regulation-rehearsal strategies. Outcome measurements were the
performances on trained and untrained tasks in the training and novel
environments. RESULTS: The MI patients showed significantly better performances
on 4 of 5 trained tasks (P=0.001 to 0.026) versus only 1 task in the FR patients
(P=0.021). The MI patients also outperformed their FR
counterpart on the 3 (of 5) (P=0.025 to 0.049) trained and 2 (of 3) untrained
tasks (P=0.042 to 0.045) carried out in the novel environment. CONCLUSIONS: The
mental imagery intervention was useful for improving patients' ability on
performing the tasks which they did not previously trained on and in places
different from the training environments. These involved generalization of the
skills learned at the task performance level. Our findings are limited to
poststoke patients who share similar characteristics with those in this study.
Seth-Deborah Roth CRNA,CCHt,CI
www.hypnotherapyforhealth.com
read my blog at www.hypnotichealth.blogspot.com
as seen on the "MythBusters"


www.sethdeborahroth.isagenix.com