Mirror Therapy and Augmented Reality in Stroke Rehabilitation

This research is in line with the National Health Research Institutes (NHRI) Innovative Research Grant priority to address innovative treatment strategies for neurological disorders that are in desperate need of scientific scrutiny. Stroke is one of the major medical conditions that leads to long-term disability and causes a heavy health care and financial burden. To meet multidimensional needs of patients with stroke, hybrid interventions that combine different approaches are needed due to the complexity of stroke. Our previous research funded by the NHRI has been published and translated to stroke rehabilitation, particularly in the priming and synergic effects of robotic-assisted training and/or mirror therapy (MT). To extend from our previous research, the investigators will combine MT with augmented reality (AR), an emerging adjunct therapy in stroke rehabilitation. An AR-based intervention provides an intensive, repetitive, and context-rich training program, leading to an interesting environment with real-time feedback to increase motivation and participation.