| Objective: To explore the therapeutic effect of bilateral training (BIT) from the perspective of embodied cognition on upper limb motor dysfunction in hemiplegic patients after stroke. Methods: A total of 81 patients with post-stroke hemiplegia were selected. They were divided into a BIT group, an embodied cognition-based BIT group (embodied BIT group), and a control group using a random number table method, with 27 cases in each group. In the control group and the BIT group, one participant each withdrew from the study for reasons，resulting in final sample sizes of 26, 27 and 26 participants in the three groups, respectively.All patients in the three groups received routine rehabilitation training. The control group recieved unilateral task training and functional electrical stimulation.The BIT group received additional conventional BIT, and the embodied BIT group received additional BIT from the perspective of embodied cognition. All treatments lasted for 4 weeks. Before and 4 weeks after treatment, the three groups of patients were evaluated for motor cortex excitability of the ipsilateral M1 area using resting motor threshold (rMT), upper limb motor function using the upper limb section of the simplified Fugl-Meyer assessment (FMA-UE), and upper limb daily activity ability using the hemiplegic upper limb function test-Hong Kong version (FTHUE-HK). Results: Before treatment, there were no significant differences in rMT of the M1 area on the healthy side, FMA-UE, and FTHUE-HK among the three groups. After treatment, rMT of the M1 area on the healthy side, FMA-UE, and FTHUE-HK in all three groups were significantly improved as compared with those before treatment (all P<0.01), and the improvement in the embodied BIT group was significantly greater than that in the control group and the BIT group (all P<0.05). Conclusion: BIT from the perspective of embodied cognition can effectively reduce the excitability of the healthy brain region, improve upper limb motor function and the ability to perform daily activities in hemiplegic patients after stroke, and its therapeutic effect is superior to that of conventional rehabilitation training and BIT. |
