OBJECTIVE: Mirror therapy is a new form of treatment for stroke patients, yet not enough is known about its effects. This study investigated the effect of mirror therapy on the hand/arm function of chronic stroke patients with hemiparesis of the arm and the practical utility of this therapy. METHODS: This pilot study was carried out in the form of a single blind randomized clinical trial. During the 5-week study period, subjects in the intervention group received standardized exercise therapy with mirror therapy, and the control group received the standardized therapy alone. The primary outcome variable was arm and hand function, measured with the Action Research Arm test (ARAT) and the Patient-Specific Complaints Scale (PSK). Secondary outcome variable was muscle tone, measured with the Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS). RESULTS: Sixteen chronic stroke patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Analysis showed a greater improvement in arm/hand function and muscle tone in the intervention group than in the control group. This improvement was most obvious for arm/hand function (median improvement 6 points on the ARAT, and median improvement 67mm on the PSK visual analogue scale). Mirror therapy was easy to implement in practice. CONCLUSIONS: Although mirror therapy appears to be an effective treatment, the small patient population of this study means that it is not possible to draw firm conclusions about the effectiveness of the therapy. Other studies with more patients are needed.

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