Terapia por restricción del lado sano en pacientes con ictus. Revisión sistemática

The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of constraint-induced movement therapy (CIMT) in patients with hemiparesis/hemiplegia following stroke and to analyse the main characteristics of CIMT in patients with stroke. We performed a literature review of experimental studies published up to February 2016. A search was carried out in different electronic databases, as well as other search procedures. Some of the selection criteria were the following: the included studies had to be randomized clinical trials, and individuals had to be older than 18 years and to have been treated with CIMT after being diagnosed with subacute or chronic stroke. Twelve articles were included, thus providing 12 treatment groups and 12 control groups. The total sample consisted of 435 individuals divided into 2 groups: 219 persons in treatment groups and 216 individuals in control groups. The oldest article was conducted in 2010 and the most recent in 2015. CIMT is an effective alternative treatment for the rehabilitation of stroke patients, and the benefits can be observed at both the physical and functional levels.