Dohle 2009.

Methods	RCT
Participants	Country: Germany Setting: inpatient rehabiltation centre Age: aduts (mean age: 56.5 years) Sample size: 48 participants (24 in each group, 12 dropped out) Sex: 10 women, 26 men Inclusion criteria: first‐ever ischaemic stroke in the territory of the middle cerebral artery; not more than 8 weeks post‐stroke; between 25 and 80 years old; able to follow therapy instructions; capable of participating in 30‐minute daily therapy sessions Exclusion criteria: experienced previous stroke; major haemorrhagic changes; increased intracranial pressure; hemicraniectomy or orthopaedic, rheumatologic, or other diseases interfering with their ability to sit or to move either upper limb
Interventions	2 arms MT: participants were instructed to move both arms "as well as possible" while looking in the mirror Bilateral arm training: participants performed the same treatment protocol as in group 1 but without a mirror 1 and 2: 5 days a week; 30 minutes of therapy for 6 weeks Date of intervention: October 2004 to April 2006
Outcomes	Outcomes were recorded at baseline and after the intervention FM‐UE motor, ROM, pain and sensory section (FM‐UE 0 to 126) ARAT 0 to 57 FIM self‐care and mobility items (7 to 77) self‐defined Neglect score (0 to 4)
Notes	Published and unpublished data; we extracted the motor section of the FM‐UE (without reflex activity, 0 to 60) Funding source: rehabilitation research network (refonet) of the German Pension Scheme Rhineland Declarations of trialists’ interests: not stated
Risk of bias
Bias	Authors' judgement	Support for judgement
Random sequence generation (selection bias)	Low risk	Sealed, numbered envelopes were created
Allocation concealment (selection bias)	Low risk	Sealed envelopes were broken after study inclusion
Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias) All outcomes	High risk	Dropouts were not included in analysis
Blinding of outcome assessment (detection bias) primary outcome	Low risk	Assessors of primary outcome were blinded to group allocation