Introduction
chronic stroke, stroke, death, Stroke
ADVERSE EFFECTS, STROKE, STROKE
Stroke is a leading cause of death and long-term disabilityRobot-assisted therapy is an effective intervention for promoting upper limb function in stroke survivors since robot-assisted therapy provides patients with intense, repetitive practice which is considered a key element for motor trainingMirror therapy is an easy-to-use and cost-effective intervention in neurorehabilitation and it has been shown to improve motor function of the upper limb in stroke survivorsThe goals of stroke rehabilitation are not only to improve motor function but also to help stroke patients regain independence and daily life participation. Limitation of activity participation may cause adverse effects on life satisfaction and affect quality of lifeThe purpose of this study was to examine whether mirror therapy would augment therapeutic effects of robot-assisted therapy on motor function, daily function, and self-efficacy in chronic stroke survivors. Mirror therapy was applied prior to robot-assisted therapy as a priming technique and sham mirror therapy with robot-assisted therapy was used as a control condition in this study. We hypothesized that sequential combination of mirror therapy and robot-assisted therapy would lead to greater improvements in the objective and subjective health-related outcomes than sham mirror therapy with robot-assisted therapy.