Objective: To assess the influence of cognitive therapy, in combination with cognitive software, on manual dexterity in individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS).
Methods: The Nine-Hole Peg Test (NHPT) was used to establish the eligibility of individuals with MS for testing and to assess their upper limb performance. In addition to standard upper limb rehabilitation, 20 participants received RehaCom-based visual-motor therapy, administered three times a week in 20-minute routines.
Results: A significant relationship was found between the use of manual therapy that utilized the cognitive function platform and the improvement of the non-dominant hand (p=0.037). Compared to controls, the experimental group scored higher on the NHPT, when using the dominant hand (p=0.007). All members of the experimental group, aged ≤60 years, needed considerably less time to do the NHPT with the dominant hand (p=0.008).
Conclusion: Application of manual therapy using the cognitive function platform improves performance of the hand. However, further research is needed to analyze the correlation between cognitive function and motor performance in patients with MS.
Keywords: Cognitive rehabilitation; Manual therapy; Motor cortex; Multiple sclerosis; Neuroplasticity.