Objective: The purpose of constraint-induced movement therapy (CIMT) is to stimulate the use of the affected upper arm following stroke and to improve the integration of the arm in activities of daily living. CIMT consists of restraining the unaffected arm to limit its use, combined with a training program based on the shaping principle. We aimed to explore how this method can be used in practice by studying 4 patients after stroke.
Method: We investigated 4 patients, 2 with chronic disability (10 and 17 months after the stroke), and 2 with subacute disability (1 month after the stroke). Patients underwent 3 weeks of treatment, with evaluations before, immediately after, 3 months and 1 year after the training. The following scales were used: Wolf Motor Function Test (WFMT), Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA), and motor activity log (MAL).
Results: Four patients showed enhanced function (improved WFMT and FMA scores) at 3 months and 3 patients at one year and better use of the paretic limb in daily activities (MAL score). Two patients in the subacute phase showed better speed of movement (WFMT score).
Conclusion: The efficacy of CIMT seems to be confirmed by the literature and our observations. It is superior to the usual treatment but concerns only a few patients. The scheme of treatment is still not clear, but many studies recommend the use of a glove 90% of the day for 2 or 3 weeks, with 3 to 6 hours per day of intensive therapy.