The effects of cognitive function training on motor and executive functions after basal ganglia stroke

Objective To observe the effect of cognition training on the motor and executive functioning of patients after a basal ganglia stroke.Methods Thirty patients with basal ganglia stroke were randomly divided into a treatment group and a control group.The control group received standard stroke rehabilitation training,while the treatment group received in addition 2 months of cognitive function training.The executive and motor functions of all of the subjects and their facility in the activities of daily living (ADL) were tested using the Tower of Hanoi,the Wisconsin card sorting test,a Stroop-3 test and the Fugl-Meyer assessment,the Berg balance scale and the modified Barthel index before and at the end of treatment.Results After two months of training,both within-group and between group comparisons showed that the treatment group had improved significantly more in executive function,cognition and motor function.Conclusion Cognition training can improve executive function,motor function and ADL performance after a basal ganglia stroke. Key words: Cognition training;  Executive function;  Motor function;  Stroke