Intervention Investigated
Control:
During sessions of approximately 90 minutes on 18 consecutive work-week days,
participants sat with their arms in front of them, motionless as monitored, at a table while
watching three 6-minute videos of geometric symbols (placebo treatment). After
watching each video, they participated in hand and arm actions of increasing complexity
as directed by a therapist. The same therapist directed all sessions for both
experimental and control groups.
Experimental:
Instead of watching videos of geometric symbols, the experimental group watched videos
of a healthy person performing actions – the same actions that they were to perform after
the video was stopped. These actions were shown from three different perspectives.
Outcome Measures
All three of the following tests were administered by the same therapist:
Frenchay Arm Test (FAT): This consists of five tasks performed using the
affected arm. Items are rated pass-fail, with possible scores ranging from 0/5 to
5/5. Tasks include stabilizing a ruler, drinking from a cup, operating a springed
clothespin, handling a cylinder, and combing the back of the head (Heller, 1989).