Purpose and introduction: Spastic cerebral hemiplegia is an example of physical disorders involving the upper and lower limbs of one side. When Combined together, mirror therapy and bilateral exercises can increase mental and visual imaging. This study aimed to examine The effects of six weeks of bilateral motor trainings with and without mirror on simple reaction time in affected hand of children with spastic hemiplegic cerebral palsy(SHCP).
Methodology: In this semi-practical study(IR.KUMS.REC.1398.493),16 children affected by spastic cerebral hemiplegia were divided into two experimental groups with one of them doing bilateral motor activities with the mirror and the other one doing the same exercises without the mirror. Both groups practiced motor activities in addition to typical rehabilitation programs according to their instructions. Simple reaction time of affected hand were measured in both groups using a multi-choice reaction time machine made by Lafayette company( model 63035).
Results: Results showed a significant improvement in simple reaction time score of the affected hand in both groups after six weeks of intervention(p < 0/05). Additionally, inter-group assessments have implicated that there was no significant difference between the two groups(p>0/05).
Conclusion: Due to the lack of significant differences between the two experimental groups, bilateral motor trainings with and without mirror were effective on simple reaction time in affected hand of children with spastic hemiplegic cerebral palsy, which might be attributable to the mechanism of mirror neurons.
Keywords: mirror therapy, bimanual motor training, hemiplegic cerebral palsy, reaction time