Table 5.
Active sensory training study characteristics.
| Author, year | Study design | Sample size | Age (years) | Gender (M:F) | Stroke duration (time since stroke) mean (SD) | Side of stroke (affected side) | Intervention | Target duration | Control condition | Outcome measures | Direction of effects (+ positive, – negative, +/- both) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Byl et al., 2003 | RCT (Crossover) | 8E, 10C | 69.0, 58.5 | 5:3, 7:3 | 4.5, 4.8 | 5:3, 5:5 | Sensory discrimination training (and mental imagery, mirror and functional practice at home) | UL 1.5 h/week for 4 weeks, 4 sessions [and HEP CIMT 7 h + 15–90 min functional practice] |
– | Sensory discrimination (kinesthesia, graphesthesia, stereognosis), PPT, WMFT, Cal-FCP, UL/LL strength and ROM, gait speed | + |
| Carey et al., 2011 | RCT (Parallel/Crossover) | 25E, 25C | 61.08 ± 14.38E, 60.96 ± 11.17C | 17:8E, 20:5C | 32.57 (12.22–111.22)E, 51.86 (20.57–72.53)C (weeks) | 40:60%E, 44:56%C | Somatosensory discrimination training (texture discrimination, limb position sense, and tactile object recognition) | UL 60 min, 3 sessions/week for ~4 weeks, 10 sessions |
Exposure to sensory stimuli | Composite index of functional somatosensory discrimination capacity: FMT, WPST, fTORT | + |
| Chanubol et al., 2012 | RCT (Parallel Group) | 20E, 20C | 63.2 ± 10.1 | 9:11E, 11:9C | - | 1:19E, 1:19C | Perfetti's method (cognitive sensory motor training therapy- perception tasks: sensing and discriminating limb positions) | UL 30 min, 5 times/week for 4 weeks, 20 sessions |
Standard OT | ARAT, BI, BBT | – |
| de Diego et al., 2013 | RCT (Parallel Group) | 12E, 9C | 61.9 ± 9.7E, 60.6 ± 15.6C | - | 44.7 ± 24.5E, 60.7 ± 58.2C (months) | – | Sensory stimulation and functional activity training (targeting tactile stimulation, mental imagery and practice of ADL's at home) | UL 1 h, 2 days/week over 8 weeks, 16 sessions [and HEP 30 min/day over 8 weeks total 28 h] |
Standard rehabilitation | FMA-UE, MAL, SIS-16, sensory discrimination battery: tactile sensibility (monofilaments), proprioceptive sensibility (passive ROM), consistency and weight discrimination (ordering consistency and weight of objects) | + |
| Lynch et al., 2007 | RCT (Parallel Group) | 10E, 11C | 61.0 ± 15.8, (21–77)E, 62.0 ± 12.3, (38–82)C | 7:3E, 9:2C | 48.7 ± 31.1 (19–122)E, 47.8 ± 27.7 (13–112)C (days) | 5:5E, 8:3C | Sensory retraining (education, detection, localization, discrimination and proprioception) | LL(foot) 30 min, 10 sessions over 2 weeks |
Sham relaxation and standard PT | LT monofilaments, distal proprioception test, BBS, gait time and Iowa | +/– |
| Morioka and Yagi, 2003 | RCT (Parallel Group) | 12E, 14C | 62.6 ± 13.3 (51–79)E, 61.3 ± 11.0 (56–73)C | 9:3E, 8:6C | 65.4 ± 18.6 (36–106)E, 61.9 ± 20.8 (31–111)C (days) | 6:6E, 5:9C | Perceptual learning exercises (hardness discrimination) | LL 10 trials/session, 10 days over 2 weeks |
Standard PT/OT (no perceptual learning exercise) | SBT (postural sway) | +/– |
Abbreviations: –, not known; UL/LL, upper and lower limb; Outcome measures: Cal-FCP, California Functional Capacity Evaluations; FMT, Fabric Matching Test; fTORT, Tactile Object Recognition Test; PPT, Purdue Pegboard Test; SBT, Stabilometer Balance Test; WMFT, Wolf Motor Function Test; WPST, Wrist Position Sense Test; Interventions: ADL's, activities of daily living; CIMT, constraint induced movement therapy; HEP, home exercise program.