Page 2007
| Methods | Randomised controlled trial with "computer‐generated random numbers table" Setting: all in the same environment, presumably a research laboratory or outpatient clinic | |
| Participants | 16 in experimental group, 16 in control group; mean 42 months post stroke; mean age 59.5 (13.4) years; 52% male; no measure of stroke severity; hand dominance not described; affected extremity ‐ right 19, left 13; concordance not described | |
| Interventions | 30 minutes, 2 sessions/week for 6 weeks MP dosage (total number of minutes of MP over the study) = 360 minutes Intervention: physical practice of ADL activities for 30 minutes/session, 2 sessions/week for 6 weeks plus MP of the same ADL activities prompted by audiotape with middle 20 minutes having suggestions for internal, cognitive polysensory images to cue the participant to mentally rehearse the motor skill practiced earlier in the day. Of note, the images were in the first person perspective, and the sensations associated with the movement were emphasised Control: physical practice as above followed by listening to a 30 minute tape taking the participants through a progressive relaxation program (comparable length as the MP tape above) | |
| Outcomes | Fugl‐Meyer upper extremity Action Research Arm Test | |
| Notes | PEDro score 9/10 | |
| Risk of bias | ||
| Bias | Authors' judgement | Support for judgement |
| Allocation concealment (selection bias) | Unclear risk | Randomisation with a computer‐generated random number table that gave each participant equal probability of being assigned to the experimental or control intervention |
| Selective reporting (reporting bias) | Low risk | Selective reporting not evident |
| Blinding? patients | High risk | There are no statements regarding blinding of participants |
| Blinding? providers | Low risk | Therapists were blinded to participants' group assignment |
| Blinding? outcome assessors | Low risk | Examiners were blinded to participants' group assignment |
| Similarity of baseline characteristics? | Low risk | Experimental and control groups were similar in terms of age, time post stroke, Fugl‐Meyer and Action Research Arm test scores |
| Incomplete outcome data addressed? ‐ dropouts | Low risk | There were no dropouts |
| Incomplete outcome data addressed? ITT | Low risk | All participants were analysed in the group to which they were randomised |