The effect of voluntary trunk rotation and half-field eye-patching for patients with unilateral neglect in stroke: a randomized controlled trial

Kenneth NK Fong, Marko KL Chan, Peggie PK Ng, May HM Tsang, Kathy KY Chow, Cherry WL Lau, Frances SM Chan, Iris PY Wong, Dora YL Chan, and Chetwyn CH Chan

The aim of the study was to investigate the effectiveness of voluntary trunk rotation and half-field eye-patching to treat patients with unilateral neglect in stroke. Sixty sub-acute patients with right hemisphere stroke having unilateral neglect within eight weeks post stroke participated and were randomly assigned to three comparison groups. Nineteen patients received daily experimental training in voluntary trunk rotation (TR) for 1 hour five times a week for 30 days. Twenty patients received the same kind of treatment together with half-field eye-patching (TR + EP). Fifteen patients in the control group received conventional training with the same contact time. The authors found that there were no significant differences between voluntary trunk rotation (TR), voluntary trunk rotation and half-field eye-patching (TR + EP) and controls were found in functional performance and neglect measures at day 30 and follow-up. They concluded that the results of this study do not support the use of voluntary trunk rotation alone or with half-field eye-patching to improve functional performance or reduce unilateral neglect in sub-acute patients with stroke.

Clinical Rehabilitation, 2007, 21 (8), 729-741

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