Technique to improve chronic motor deficit after stroke

The unaffected upper extremely of chronic stroke patients was restrained in sling during waking fours for 14 days; on ten of those days, these patients were given six hours of practice in using the impaired upper extremity. An attentioncomparison group received several procedures designed to focus attention on use of the impaired upper extremity. The restraint subjects improved on each of the laboratory measures of motor function used-in most cases markedly. Extensive improvement, from a multi-year plateau of greatly impaired motor function, was also noted for the restraint group in the life situation and these gins were maintained during a two-year period of follow-up